It Doesn't Have To Be So Hard
by Katie4863
Summary: A man struggling and woman struggling cross paths.  Can they help lighten each other's load?
1. Chapter 1

Daybreak was just beginning, the faint hints of daylight beginning to seep through the windows as he rolled onto his side and slowly opened and closed his eyes, finally opening them for good and finding a pair of eyes that looked just like his staring back at him. He smiled, raised his head enough to count the bodies lying in the bed with him and dropped his head back onto the pillow.

"Thunderstorm?" He asked softly to the eyes looking back at him.

"I can't believe you slept through it dad. Kendall was really freaking out." The young girl told him.

"You weren't?" He teased.

"No, I would've stayed in my bed, I just didn't want Jordan and Kendall to wake you up so I came with them." She huffed.

"I appreciate that Carly, but you know you're only 12 so it's okay if you still need your dad once in awhile." He told her and kissed the tip of her nose.

"I'm not a little girl anymore dad." She argued.

"Yes you are, you just don't think you are." He replied and gently brushed her bangs back.

"You're not going back on your promise are you?" She asked, sitting up and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Your sisters are going to miss you at the daycare and I'd really feel better if you were there too." He said.

"Daddy you promised, please don't make me go there, it's for babies." Carly pleaded with him.

"Okay, I said you could ride the bus to school and home and you can as long as you show me you can handle it." He agreed.

"I'm going to go get ready and then I'll help the girls. You're the best dad!" Carly said excitedly, kissing him on the cheek and moving off the bed.

Jack Shephard watched his oldest daughter happily bounce of the bedroom before moving out of the bed himself. He pulled the blankets over his other two daughters, eight year old Jordan and five year old Kendall and disappeared into the bathroom, closing and the locking the door behind him.

He stood in the shower allowing the steady stream to wake him and considered it was the first day of school for all three of his daughters for the first time and the first time that he wouldn't be holding Carly's hand and walking her to her classroom on the first day. She'd been campaigning all summer long to be allowed to begin her first day as a 6th grader by herself and he'd finally agreed to let her try it for a couple of weeks with the understanding that he could and would take the privilege away if she broke even one of the rules put in place.

He exited the bathroom with a towel around his waist, noticed that his bed was now completely void of children and stepped into his closet to dress. By the time he entered the kitchen in his dress slacks, shirt and tie, Carly had a cup of coffee waiting for him and had the two younger girls eating cereal.

"Morning girls." He said.

"I feel sick daddy." Jordan said.

"She's just nervous dad." Carly said.

"Am not! Shut up Carly!" Jordan yelled.

"Take it easy girls. Carly, I appreciate the coffee and you getting the girls their breakfast, but let me be the doctor. Okay?" Jack spoke kindly to his oldest daughter, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and winking at her.

"Yeah, you're right dad. I have to go if I'm going to catch my bus." Carly said excitedly and moved past Jack eagerly to grab her back pack.

"Hey, not so fast, you're not too big to tell me goodbye." Jack objected.

Carly threw the backpack over her shoulder, hugged her father and let him kiss her on the cheek, laughing when her father didn't seem to want to let go.

"Daddy, you have to let me go or I'm going to miss my bus." Carly told him.

"Okay, but what are you supposed to do as soon as you get to school?" He asked.

"Send you a text message letting you know I made it." She sighed.

"And when you get home?" He asked.

"The same thing. I won't forget dad." She groaned and rolled her eyes at him.

"Yeah, keep rolling those eyes kiddo, but the first time you forget to text me will be the last. Now get going and have a good day." Jack said and kissed her on the forehead.

"Bye! I hope you feel better Jordy, the first day of 3rd grade is too awesome to miss out on." Carly said and left.

Jack looked over at his other two daughters. Jordan was still pouting and playing with her food and Kendall was finished eating, but had managed to dribble milk down her chin and down the front of her shirt. He chuckled lightly, approached the child and lifted her out of the chair, kissing her on the cheek and then pulling her back so he could talk to her.

"You need to put on a clean shirt. Do you need me to help you?" He asked.

"I'm sick too daddy." Kendall told him.

Jack felt the child's forehead for fever and reached down and did the same with Jordan even though he knew neither child was sick.

"Wow, too sick for the first day of school. That's too bad because I cleared my calendar this afternoon so I could pick both of you up from school and we could all do something fun before dinner." He said.

"No daycare today?" Jordan asked.

"No daycare. I'm taking you to school and picking you up, well I was, but since you're both sick I guess I'll have to get someone to come stay with you and make sure you stay in bed all day." He told them.

"Maybe a glass of chocolate milk would make me better." Jordan suggested.

Jack poured the child a glass of chocolate milk and set it in front of her, rubbing a gentle hand over the back of her head, hating how difficult first days of anything always were for his middle child.

"You drink your milk while I help your sister find a clean shirt." He spoke softly.

Jack walked the two little girls into the school, one holding onto each of his hands. They walked Kendall to her kindergarten classroom first. She was a happy, bubbly little girl who never met a stranger and today was no different. She saw the classroom with the pretty teacher and all the kids the same size as her, kissed her father goodbye and ran off happily. Jack quickly introduced himself and Kendall to the young teacher and began the walk of doom with Jordan .

Jordan was quiet, shy and emotional. She was his little meltdown queen and there were days when he had no patience or tolerance for her drama, but on days like today, when the anxiety was real she could tug at his heart and make him want to scoop her up and protect her from everything that scared her. They entered the classroom, the child's grip on his hand so tight he was sure a full blown meltdown was just moments away.

Jack didn't need to introduce himself to this teacher. She'd been Carly's third grade teacher and most of the faculty in the private school were aware of Jack and his three daughters and their situation.

"Hi Jordan , I'm so happy to have you in my classroom this year." The teacher said as Jordan moved behind her father's legs.

"Sorry, she's a little nervous. We just dropped Kendall off. You got a new Kindergarten teacher." Jack made small talk as he tried to get his daughter to come back around and say hello.

"Yes, we did and Carly is getting one of our new hires too, have you met her yet?" The teacher asked.

"No Carly insisted on riding the bus this year so I'm going to let her try it. There are two other children in the neighborhood she'll walk with and it's a straight shot so we'll see how it goes. I think she's too young, but you know how she is, very stubborn and independent." Jack explained.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. Jordan would you like to find a desk and sit down?" The teacher asked.

Jack felt the child's hand gripping his leg through his pants and knew the dam was about to burst.

"I changed my mind daddy, I'm sick, I'm really sick." She began to cry.

Jack wanted to pick her up and carry her away, but he knew that giving in meant that he'd just have to go through the same thing again tomorrow so he walked her toward a desk and sat her down. She sprang back up immediately, wrapping her arms around him and crying and begging for him to take her home.

"Jordy that's enough baby. You're going to make yourself sick. Sit down at your desk." Jack said firmly, yet not sternly as he sat her back down and squatted down beside her.

"No daddy! I can't! I want to go h-h-h-oome." She cried, getting choked up and her breath hitching.

"I'll stay with her dad until she feels better." Carly's voice offered from behind.

"You don't have to do that Carly. It's your first day in the middle school. We'll be okay." Jack said.

"I know, but she's scared and she is my baby sister. Do you want me to stay with you Jordy?" Carly asked.

"Can she?" Jordan asked as she worked hard to get her tears under control.

Jack looked up at the teacher and she nodded at him and handed him a handful of Kleenex. Jack wiped the tears from the little girl's face, hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. He stood and looked down at his daughter and then leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"You're pretty awesome kiddo and I owe you big time." He said.

"You better go dad, you're going to be late and you promised we'd do something after school." Carly reminded him.

Jack nodded at the child and headed toward the door to the classroom. He was just about out the door when Jordan 's teacher called out to him.

"Jack, could you stop by Carly's classroom and give her teacher this note. It's explaining where she is and that she'll be in class as soon as possible. I'd talk with her myself, but it's the first day of school and too hectic for me to leave my classroom." The teacher said.

"Yeah, sure, um, it's the middle building just outside the east exit doors right?" Jack asked and took the note from her.

"That's right. Carly's is the first classroom just inside the main entrance. Look for Ms. Austen." She told him and smiled.

Jack politely smiled back and left the room in search of Carly's new teacher. He looked down at his watch. He had a consultation scheduled that should've started 10 minutes ago. He exited the building and pulled his cell phone out. He entered the building, found the classroom and approached the woman sitting behind the desk, reaching into his suit jacket and pulling out the note all while carrying on a rather intense conversation with person on his cell phone.

"Look Angie, I'm sorry okay. Just tell Mr. Lawson I'm tied up at the hospital and will be there shortly and then rearrange the rest of my day." Jack sighed heavily into the phone.

He handed the note to the woman, his attention still on the conversation he was having.

"I can't do this right now Angie, please just do what I ask and we'll sort it all out when I get there." Jack spoke sternly into the phone and then clicked it off without a proper goodbye.

The woman was holding the note and looking at him, confused and unsure. He smiled a nervous smile and held his hand out.

"I'm sorry, that was rude. I'm Jack Shephard and my daughter Carly is going to be in your class this year." Jack said and shook her hand gently.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Shephard, I'm Kate Austen. Is Carly not with you?" Kate asked looking around him.

"No, I mean yes, I mean she's in the school, she's just not right here. I'm sorry, I'm not making any sense. It's probably explained in the note, but I have a younger daughter who is starting in Mrs. Barrett's class today and she's really upset and Carly is going to stay with her until she settles down." Jack explained.

"Why is she upset? First day jitters?" Kate asked.

"Yes, Jordan doesn't handle new situations well. Um, listen, it was nice meeting you and hopefully we'll have a chance to talk at length, but I was supposed to be some place at 8:00 and it's now 8:15 so if this is all okay with you, I really need to go." Jack explained in an apologetic tone.

"Of course it's fine." Kate said and smiled at him.

Kate noticed the girl sitting alone on the steps the moment she walked out of the building. She approached her slowly and then called out to her hoping not to startle her.

"Carly is everything okay?" Kate asked.

"I think my dad forgot he was supposed to pick me and my sisters up." Carly sighed.

"Where are your sisters?" Kate asked.

"I don't know." Carly said sadly and quickly wiped away the tear that slipped down her cheek.

"It's okay honey, come on let's go find Mrs. Barrett and see if maybe your dad talked to her." Kate said and offered the girl her hand.

"Jordy was so scared today and if daddy forgot us she'll be so freaked out we'll never get her back to school." Carly said.

"I met your dad this morning Carly. He seems like he's a busy man, but not one that would forget his children." Kate offered.

"I guess." Carly said sadly and shrugged her shoulders.

Kate walked with the girl to Mrs. Barrett's classroom, managing to get there just as she was locking the door to her classroom.

"Carly is everything okay? Why are you still here?" Mrs. Barrett asked.

"My dad was supposed to pick us up." Carly said.

"Oh honey your dad's office called earlier and asked us to make sure you girls rode the daycare bus after school, did you not get the message Ms. Austen?" Mrs. Barrett asked.

"No, I didn't. I'm sorry Carly." Kate apologized.

"I'm not on the daycare bus list this year. He probably forgot to mention that when he called." Carly said.

"He probably did honey. I'm sorry, but you know your dad didn't mean to forget and he's going to feel awful about this." Mrs. Barrett said.

"I know." Carly agreed.

"Come on, let's go to the office and see if we can reach him." Kate said.

"We can't reach him. I already sent him four text messages so he's probably in surgery or he would've answered me by now." Carly said.

"Well, I would be more than happy to give you a ride home or to the daycare where your sisters are." Kate offered.

"I guess where my sisters are." Carly sighed.

Kate and Carly rode in silence to the day care, the child obviously very disappointed and not in the mood for idle chatter. Kate heard the girl's cell phone go off and looked over at her.

"Hi daddy."

"I'm okay, Ms. Austen is driving me to the daycare."

"I know you said I could go home, but I wanted to see if Jordy was okay. She had a rough day."

"I love you too."

Carly clicked her phone shut and looked over at Kate.

"He said to tell you thank you and that he will do so in person in the morning." Carly said.

"Well you tell your dad that's not necessary. It was my pleasure." Kate said and smiled at her.

"You can just drop me at the door." Carly sighed and pointed at the front doors to the daycare.

"No honey, I think I should walk you inside and make sure they know you're here." Kate said.

"Whatever." Carly grumbled.

Kate parked her car and walked the disappointed child into the daycare. She spoke with the woman in charge, explained what happened and watched as Carly was greeted by her two younger sisters, amazed at how quickly the young girl's persona changed as she explained to her younger siblings that their daddy didn't mean to disappoint them. It was almost as if she'd gone from a disappointed to 12 year old to a responsible adult in the blink of an eye.

"They're really close." Kate commented.

"Oh yes, they're lovely children." The woman said.

Kate walked out of the daycare and sat in her car for a moment. She didn't know what, but there was something sad about those three little girls, something just below the surface and she wondered if the busy man she'd met that morning disappointed them often.

"Mind your own business Kate." She mumbled and backed out of her parking space.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thank you everyone for all the kind words. I'd forgotten how nice and enthusiastic Jate readers can be. Here's the next installment. I'm hoping to keep this a combination of a little angst, a little fun/cute/fuzzy and of course since it's Jate, a little sexy.**_

Kate watched the man and the little girl in the doorway, him trying to give the child a hug and her pulling away, angry with him and apparently punishing him. He straightened, shoved his hands into the pockets of his dress slacks and watched his daughter walk away from him, his body language telling her that the girl's punishment was working, all the knives precisely placed and twisted to perfection. She stood and walked toward him and gestured for him to follow her out into the hallway.

"I'm so sorry about yesterday and you'll never know how grateful I am that you didn't leave her sitting outside by herself." Jack apologized.

"It's fine Mr. Shephard, things happen." Kate offered.

"It's Jack and no it's not fine. She's 12. Anything could've happened to her. It was stupid of me to forget about what she'd been hounding me about all summer long." Jack continued to beat himself up.

"Is she okay? She looks a little…..I don't know…angry. Is she still upset about yesterday?" Kate asked.

"No, Carly knows that I can't always be where I say I'm going to be, that sometimes patients have to come first. She's mad at me for breaking our deal and making her go back to the daycare with her sisters. I'm just not ready to not know my little girl is safe and being take care of. Maybe next year." Jack said.

"They still take them in daycares on a daily basis at 12?" Kate asked.

"Yes they do and there are plenty of kids Carly's age there and having all three of my daughters in the same place every afternoon is for the best. It's one less thing I have to keep track of." Jack admitted.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. Kids this age tend to move on to the next drama fairly quickly." Kate offered.

Jack relaxed and looked at the woman, actually noticing her and how strikingly beautiful she was for the first time.

"Yeah, um….anyway, thank you again for giving Carly a ride." Jack said, smiling nervously at her before turning and walking away.

Kate sat at her desk, putting the finishing touches on her lesson plans. She heard footsteps and looked up to find Stacy Barrett entering the room.

"Time to lock up the building." Stacy said.

"Yeah, I know, I was just trying to get things done in the quiet of my classroom that I know I can't get done once I leave here. Just give me a minute to grab my things." Kate said.

"I appreciate your letting me borrow Carly today. Jordan is really having a hard time." Stacy said.

"It's not a problem, but hopefully it won't go on too much longer or Carly will start to miss out and fall behind." Kate said.

"It won't. If she's still struggling tomorrow I'll have a conference with her father and we'll figure out what we need to do. What did you think of him?" Stacy asked.

"Him?" Kate asked.

"Jack, Carly's father." Stacy said.

"He seems nice, stressed to the limit and entirely too busy, but he appears to be a very doting dad. I take it there is no mother in picture at all?" Kate asked.

"No, but Carly can be quite the little mother when it comes to her little sisters. The baby, Kendall, was in our Pre-K program last year and we finally had to have a conference with Jack and have him convince Carly that it was better for Kendall if she didn't come to check on her every single day." Stacy explained with a light laugh.

"Does she maybe have too much responsibility put on her at home?" Kate asked.

"No I don't think that's the problem. I think it's just a matter of her being the oldest and seeing how difficult things are for Jack and feeling like she's supposed to take care of him and her younger siblings. Jack tries to steer her attention in other directions because he feels like she's not allowing herself to just be a kid. We've had lengthy discussions about Carly. You're right. He's a very doting dad." Stacy said.

"Can I ask you something Stacy?" Kate asked.

"Sure." Stacy answered.

"You're like the fourth faculty member in two days to come talk to me about Jack. Are you trying to make a love connection or something?" Kate asked more annoyed than amused.

"Are we that obvious?" Stacy asked.

"Yeah, having him bring me a note yesterday and now all this stuff about what a tragic, doting father he is. I'm here to teach Stacy, not date my student's parents and I kind of resent that I'm being viewed by my colleagues in that manner." Kate told her.

"Oh no Kate we didn't mean to give you the impression that we see you as all beauty and no brains, it's just that we've all known Jack and his family since Carly was in Pre-K and we're very fond of him and well you're very beautiful and…..okay, bad idea. I'm sorry. I'll tell the rest of them to back off too." Stacy said.

"Thank you." Kate said as she grabbed her purse and gestured toward the door.

Jack stood outside the classroom door and knocked. After a few moments the door opened and Kate stepped out into the hallway.

"She's down here." Kate said and started to walk away, stopped by him gently grabbing her arm.

"Wait, what's going on? Why has my daughter locked herself in a stall in the bathroom?" Jack asked.

"She's embarrassed Jack, too embarrassed to come out." Kate answered.

"Why? What happ…..oh." Jack said.

"No, it's not that, but I suspect that can't be too far off. Have you looked at your daughter Jack, I mean really looked at her?" Kate asked.

"What do you mean really looked at her? Would you please just tell me what happened." Jack asked starting to become impatient.

"Carly's body is changing Jack and apparently not right before your eyes or you wouldn't send her to school without the bra that she so desperately needs." Kate told him, her tone more critical than she meant it to be.

"Look, I appreciate that you feel like I've somehow neglected the needs of my child and are speaking up for her, but the last time I checked my daughter didn't have breasts." Jack objected not the least bit embarrassed or uncomfortable with the conversation, just offended by the accusation.

"No, she's not exactly a c-cup, but there are parts of her that are developing Jack and need to be covered up especially when she's wearing a white cotton button up shirt. Girls are ruthless and the moment they spotted her uncovered breast buds they teased her relentlessly. When I realized what was happening I stopped it, but then she ran into the bathroom and locked herself in one of the stalls and refused to come out." Kate explained.

"Great." Jack huffed.

"She's in here." Kate said and entered the bathroom behind him.

Jack was tall enough to peek over the locked door of the bathroom stall and was met with anger and humiliation when he did.

"Go away dad. I don't want you to look at me." Carly growled.

"Okay, I'm not looking, we're just talking." Jack said.

"There's nothing to talk about. I can't ever go back to class again. I have to change schools." Carly told him.

"Sweetheart that's a little dramatic don't you think? I know you're embarrassed and I'm sorry. I screwed up. I should've been paying attention." Jack apologized.

"Dad that's so gross. You paying attention to THAT." Carly complained.

"No, honey, I don't mean paying attention as in actually checking out my daughter, just that I should've paid closer attention to how old you are and what that means." Jack pressed forward carefully, not wanting to add to her embarrassment.

"Dad! Stop! I don't want to have this conversation with you!" Carly demanded.

"I know you don't baby, but you can. You know you can talk to me about anything, anytime. How about you come out of there and we'll go shopping for what you need." Jack suggested.

"Please just leave me alone daddy." She pleaded sadly and began to cry.

He could hear her crying and could feel the desperation creeping in because he knew he couldn't make her feel better this time and couldn't give her what she needed. Kate tugged at his sleeve until he followed her toward the other end of the bathroom.

"Look Jack, I don't know, I mean I have no idea what the situation with you and your daughters is, but I can see that you care very much about them and that this is hurting you as much as it is her so will you let me help you out?" Kate asked.

"Help me out how?" Jack asked.

"Let me take Carly shopping for what she needs." Kate offered.

"No. Thanks, but no." Jack refused his tone indicating that he was offended again.

"Jack it's not a reflection on you as a parent. She's 12 and she needs someone that understands what it's like." Kate pushed.

"I don't understand what my daughter is feeling, but you do?" He snapped.

"No, you do understand very well what she is feeling and why she is crying which is why you're on the verge of tears yourself and I can't do anything to make that better, but I can help make this little moment in her life a little less traumatic and embarrassing so that maybe what she is feeling right now won't hurt either one of you so badly." Kate explained and watched his face and eyes soften immediately.

He was visibly moved that even though she had no idea what his situation was, she intuitively knew it was painful and honestly just wanted to help.

"You're very kind, but this is just the first of many of these little moments so we have to figure out a way to get through them together." Jack said softly.

"True, but perhaps getting through them together means accepting that maybe sometimes the two of you should accept some outside assistance once in awhile." Kate said.

"You really don't mind?" Jack asked, his eyes hopeful.

"I wouldn't offer if I did." She said and smiled at him.

"If it will get her to stop crying and get her out of that stall how can I say no." He agreed.

Kate walked back over to the stall and knocked lightly.

"Carly, it's Kate, Ms. Austen." Kate said.

"Go away Ms. Austen. I'll come out once all the kids go home for the day." Carly said.

"Honey, you haven't even had lunch yet. How about you let your dad take you home and I'll come pick you up after school and we'll go shopping." Kate offered.

"No, then all the kids will know." Carly objected.

"They'll only know if you tell them because I won't tell anyone and you know what sweetie, by the time you come back to school on Monday this will all be forgotten." Kate said.

"Do you really think so?" Carly asked.

"I do." Kate said.

They heard the door being unlatched and then watched the girl slowly exit the stall, trying to tough it out at first but losing the battle as soon as she saw her father, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his shirt. He placed a comforting hand on her back and gave Kate a quick nod as she exited the bathroom.

"Do you have to go back to work?" She asked as she began to settle down.

"Not right away. Want to go have lunch together before I take you home?" He asked.

"You're going to let me stay home by myself?" She asked.

"I think it would be okay for few hours don't you?" He asked.

Jack and Carly sat across from one another in a booth eating their lunch and avoiding talking about what had happened at school. He didn't like that Carly wouldn't talk to him about this because he and Carly talked about everything and also because he was all she had and they had to be able to talk about anything. He watched her poke at her burger with her fingers awhile longer and finally spoke.

"Carly why don't you want to talk to me about what happened today?" He asked.

"It's embarrassing dad." Carly said softly and continued to pick at her burger.

"I'm sorry you're embarrassed honey. Is there really nothing I can do to make you feel more comfortable?" He offered gently.

"I don't know. I feel really stupid." She said.

"Why do you feel stupid?" He asked.

"Because I didn't know I was doing something wrong and I should've." She said.

"Sweetheart you didn't do anything wrong." He said.

"Dad what's a boner?" She asked making him choke on his food for a moment before taking a long drink of water.

"Never mind, that's what I thought it was." She said.

"Carly where did you hear that?" He asked, calm and completely recovered from the surprise she'd managed to catch him in with the question.

"Tommy Baxter said I needed to put a bra on because I was giving him a boner. I feel so gross dad." She said sadly.

"Sometimes boys are going to be tacky and inconsiderate like that and I'm sorry it made you feel dirty or shameful, but you shouldn't be ashamed of or embarrassed about what's happening to your body and if you have questions you can always ask me and I promise you won't self-destruct. Also Carly, if you need things you don't want me to go with you to buy we'll figure that out too." He told her.

"Okay." She mumbled.

"Want me to let you in on a little secret?" He asked.

"Sure." She said.

"Tommy Baxter probably hasn't ever experienced an erection or "boner" he didn't bring on by touching himself because if he had, if he'd ever had that happen to him just by looking at a pretty girl, he'd be too busy trying to hide it to brag about it. Girls aren't the only ones who experience embarrassing moments you know." Jack told her making her smile for the first time that day.

"Sometimes you're pretty funny dad." She told him and began to giggle.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"Jason Thomas stares at Ms. Austen all day and he keeps his jacket over his lap." She told him and began laughing harder.

Jack didn't want to laugh, didn't want to encourage his daughter to find the struggles of a turned on 12 year old boy funny, but she was no longer destroyed and actually relaxing so he laughed along with her while sympathizing with poor Jason.

"Now remember Carly this is our secret and don't make fun of Jason because he really can't help it." Jack told her.

"I won't. Thanks dad. I feel better." She said.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thank you all for the nice reviews! I hope you enjoy the next installment!**_

Having rung the doorbell, she stood outside the door waiting. She felt nauseous and her stomach hurt, but she had promised Carly so she was sucking it up. She listened to the chaos that was ensuing inside and the door finally opened and there he stood, five year old wrapped around him like a baby Koala bear and a pouting eight year old being held firmly to with his free hand.

"Hi, sorry it took me so long to answer, um….please come in." He said and moved so she could enter the home.

"Is everything okay?" Kate asked.

"Yes, sure, everything's fine. Excuse me, I need to deal with this little problem. Please have a seat and I'll find Carly." He said, closing the door and disappearing down a hallway with his two daughters.

"Are you ready to go?" Carly asked, appearing in the entry to the family room without making a sound and startling her.

"Yes, but shouldn't we wait for your dad so we can let him know we're leaving?" Kate asked.

"He's pretty busy dealing with Jordan and Kendall right now. He gave me some money and told me to tell you thank you for doing this and that he'd see us when we got back." Carly explained.

"Are your sisters okay?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, they're just in trouble so they have to take their baths and go to bed." Carly said.

"Without dinner?" Kate asked.

"No, he'll feed them." Carly laughed.

"Right, of course he will." Kate said, laughed lightly at herself and escorted the child out of the home.

Kate and Carly found what Carly needed fairly quickly and even though she felt awful and really needed to get home, she couldn't resist the little girl's desire to show her the skirt and boots that she'd planned on asking her dad to buy her for Christmas. Kate looked at the leather skirt and the boots with the fuck me heels and was relatively sure that Carly was going to be disappointed on Christmas morning. However, instead of bursting her bubble she tried directing Carly's attention to some skirts and boots that she deemed more appropriate for a 12 year old child. After an hour in the clothing store they headed back to Carly's house. Kate walked her into the house and was greeted by Jack and his two younger daughters, freshly bathed and ready for bed. Jack took one look at Kate and could tell she wasn't feeling well.

"I was just getting ready to put them to bed. There's pizza in the kitchen." Jack told Carly.

"Dad it's Friday night. Are you really going to make them go to bed at six-thirty?" Carly objected.

"We'll be good if you give us one more chance, I promise. Please daddy." Jordan pleaded sadly.

"Sorry baby, no more chances tonight." Jack said and looked away, the child's tear-filled eyes getting to him.

Kate felt a light tug on the hem of her shirt and looked down. Staring back at her were the biggest blue eyes she'd ever seen attached to a face so sweet she wasn't sure how Jack managed to punish her...ever. Kate kneeled down to the little girl's level.

"Who are you?" Kendall asked.

"I'm Kate. I'm a friend." She said.

"You are very pretty. You look like a princess." Kendall said and smiled an adorable toothless smile at her.

Kate looked up at Jack and then smiled back at the little girl before slowly standing back up, the pain in her stomach becoming difficult to hide.

"Your children are adorable Jack." She said, trying to mask the pain.

"Thank you, but they weren't very adorable about an hour ago, which is why they need to say goodnight. Say goodnight girls." Jack said.

"I'll do it dad. You can talk to Ms. Austen. Is it okay if I read them a story or are you being extra mean tonight?" Carly asked.

"Keep it up kiddo and you'll be joining them. Yes you can read them a story and thank you." Jack told her and watched her lead the two disappointed youngsters away.

"Wow, you've really got a handle on things." Kate said.

"Some days I do, but most days I don't. Are you okay? Would you like to come in and sit down, have a cool drink maybe?" He asked.

"I'm fine. I think I just picked up a bug." She answered and pulled back when his hand gently touched her forehead and cheeks.

"Sorry, old habits. You're pretty warm, are you sure I can't get you something?" He asked again.

"No, but thank you. I really have to be going." Kate said.

"Are you sure? You look like you need to sit down really bad." He said.

"I wish I could, but I can't." Kate said.

"Of course, well thank you for helping Carly out. I trust she got everything she needed." He said.

"Yes, she's all set." Kate said.

"Great, and really thank you so much. If there is ever anything I can do for you please don't hesitate to call." He said and walked her outside.

She made herself comfortable in her car, heard him knock on her window and rolled it down. He handed her a business card and stepped back.

"Seriously Kate, I owe you so if there is anything you need, call me." He said and walked away, not giving her a chance to respond.

Jack was on the back patio about to fire up the grill for their typical Saturday evening cookout when Carly approached with the house phone in her hand.

"It's for you dad, it's Ms. Austen." Carly said and handed him the phone.

"Hello?"

"What's the matter?"

"No, don't try to get up, just give me your address and I'll come to you. Let me go inside and get a pen and paper."

Jack entered the house with Carly on his heels, having listened to his half of the conversation and worried that something was wrong with her new teacher and more importantly her new friend.

"Daddy what's wrong?" Carly asked.

"It's okay honey, she's just not feeling well. Can you run next door and see if Candice can come over and stay with you guys for a little while?" Jack asked.

"No daddy I want to go with you!" Carly objected, feeling scared because she knew that Kate had to be really sick if he was going to her house.

"Sweetie I promise you she is going to be okay. Will you please go get Candice so I can go and help Kate feel better?" He asked again.

"You promise?" She asked.

"I promise, now go, please." He said.

Jack stood outside the small house, not sure if he should just go in or if he should wait for her to answer the door or if she could even answer the door. A young boy who looked to be about 10 or 11, holding another boy who appeared to be about three years old, opened the door and ushered him in.

"Hurry, she's really sick." The boy said and led him to the back of the house.

Jack entered the room. Kate was lying on the bed flushed with fever and sweating. Another young boy who looked to be about six or seven was sitting beside her applying cool cloths to her forehead. Jack looked at the three boys and quickly determined that they were hers and that they were also very scared. They boy applying the cool cloths to her forehead moved off the bed and approached him.

"You gotta help my mommy. She's hurting so much." He told him.

"I will help her, but I need you and your brothers to go into the other room while I help her. Okay?" Jack spoke softly, kindly.

"No! We're staying with our mom!" The oldest boy objected.

"Kenny it's okay. Take your brothers into the other room." Kate told him.

Jack watched the three children leave the room and sat on the edge of the mattress.

"Kate, can you show me where you're hurting?" He asked.

"My side and my stomach." She mumbled and ran her fingers over her lower abdomen.

He felt around and pushed where her appendix should be.

"Kate, do you still have your appendix?" He asked.

"No, I had it removed when I was a kid. Uggh! Oh God Jack it hurts so much!" She cried out.

"What does it feel like?" He asked.

"It feels like cramps, only a hundred times worse." She panted against the pain.

"Kate, is there any chance that you could be pregnant?" He asked.

"What? No, I don't…..wait, there was this…..yes, I suppose it's possible. Shit it hurts so bad, can you do something?" She pleaded with him.

"Shh, just try to relax. I'm going to call an ambulance." He said and pulled out his cell phone.

"An ambulance? No Jack you can't." She refused and grabbed onto his arm, the pain becoming too much and squeezing his arm hard as she cried out against it.

"Kate, I need you to lie back and try to relax. I know it hurts, but you need to be still. You need to be in a hospital." He said firmly.

"Jack please. I don't have insurance. I don't have anyone to look after my kids. I can't go to the hospital." She pleaded, tears of desperation streaming down her face.

"Kate, I think you've got an ectopic pregnancy that is about to rupture or already has. You need a hospital and a surgeon immediately. Now I'm calling an ambulance. Everything else will work itself out." He told her.

She could hear his voice calling her name, but she felt like she was trapped in a deep fog and her legs and arms were too heavy to move. She finally managed to push her eyes open and was met with his kind face.

"There you are. You're going to be fine Kate. Go back to sleep." He said.

The next thing that woke her was the pain in her lower abdomen. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was in a hospital bed. Her thoughts immediately turned to her boys and she tried to sit up. He was up out the chair and at her bedside immediately, gently pushing her shoulders back down.

"Do that too quickly and you're liable to cause yourself a lot of pain. How are you feeling?" He asked and smiled at her.

"Where are my kids?" She asked.

"They're at my house. They're safe." He said.

"Your house? Why would you do that?" She asked.

"What was I supposed to do, leave three little boys alone to fend for themselves?" He asked.

"If you're here who is watching them?" She asked.

"My neighbor." He answered.

"What happened to me?" She asked.

"You had an ectopic pregnancy and had to have your left Fallopian tube removed, but it didn't burst so there was no internal bleeding. You've got a few small incisions where the laparoscope was inserted and you'll be in some pain for a couple of days, but you should be able to go home tonight or tomorrow morning if you behave. You shouldn't be alone though and you need to rest." He explained.

"You did the surgery?" She asked.

"No, I put you in the very capable hands of an expert in this field ." He said.

"Listen Jack, about the pregnancy, it's not, I mean….." She struggled.

"Kate, it's none of my business. I'm just glad you called me because you were in serious danger." He told her, placing a comforting hand over hers.

"Can we please not tell the school what kind of surgery I had?" She asked.

"What you tell the school is entirely up to you. We don't discuss patients or their procedures with their employers." He told her.

"I made a mistake. The boys were at a sleepover and I just needed a moment to myself so I went to this bar and I had too much to drink and one thing led to another, but I'm not a slut Jack." She said as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Kate, I don't think that." He said softly and gently wiped the single tear away.

"Maybe you don't, but you know how some parents are and it's a really good job and I can't afford to lose it because I'm deemed inappropriate to be around children." She told him.

"I can't imagine anyone deeming you inappropriate to be around children. I've got a 12 year old daughter who thinks you're the coolest thing since that Justin what's his name kid." He said.

"Justin Bieber?" Kate asked and laughed lightly, wincing against the pain it caused.

"Yeah that kid. Just try to rest Kate. Is there anyone I can call for you?" He asked.

"No. Are my boys okay Jack? They must be so scared." Kate said.

"They're fine. They were pretty scared, but I brought them up here last night after your surgery and showed them you were okay and they agreed to stay with me and let you sleep. They're all a year younger than each one of my daughters so it's working out well. Each child has somebody new their own age to play with. It's like a modern day Brady Bunch at my house." He chuckled.

"Can you please get me out of here right now?" She asked.

"Kate, that's not a good idea." He argued.

"Please Jack. I can't afford this and I can't afford to pay someone full-time to watch my kids and they can't keep staying with you. Please. I'll be okay and I promise I'll stay in bed or on my couch and not over exert myself." She continued to plead her case.

"Kate, you've just had a pretty serious surgical procedure and you shouldn't be alone with three young children." He warned.

"I don't have a choice Jack. Kenny will help me with Simon and Tucker." Kate argued.

"Kenny tells me you drive them to school every morning and pick them up every evening. Is Kenny going to do that for you too?" Jack asked.

"You've been interrogating my children?" She asked, angry and offended.

"What? No, of course not. The kids were all eating breakfast this morning and Carly asked Kenny where he went to school and it just sort of blossomed from there." Jack told her.

"So I guess he also told you that they get free breakfast every morning and that they are in the latch-key program." Kate spat, still sounding angry and offended.

"No, I didn't know any of that. Why are you so offended Kate? Nobody's judging you." Jack said.

"Because that's what people do Jack, they judge, especially people like you with your large home and perfect little children in private school. Oh look at the white trash mother. She's got three kids she can't take care of and got herself knocked up again. Hell, at least this should make those nosey women I work with stop trying to hook me up with you. I'm no longer worthy of being saved by the handsome, tragic Jack Shephard." Kate spat angrily.

"What? Nevermind. Kate, speaking for myself only, I can promise you that none of that came to mind. Your children appear to be loved and very well taken care of and do you really think that the man who is struggling to raise three children by himself is going to make assumptions about a woman who appears to be trying to do the same thing?" He asked, understanding that she wasn't feeling well and was upset and not taking her comments personally.

"I'm sorry Jack. You've been so kind and you're taking care of my kids and you didn't deserve any of that. Please, I just want out of here. I want to be with my boys." She pleaded with him.

"I'm sorry Kate, but I can't help you with this. Your body needs a few days to heal and I'm going to recommend to your surgeon that he keep you here for a few days so that it can heal." Jack said and moved away from her bed.

"You can't keep me here if I don't want to stay." She said and sat up, grimacing against the pain.

"Kate don't do this." He pleaded with her as she attempted to remove her IV and he stopped her.

"Take it out Jack or I'll take it out myself." She threatened and tried to stand, getting dizzy and falling forward into his arms.

He started to pick her up and put her back into bed, but she stopped him and pulled herself away from him.

"I'm fine. I just got a little dizzy, but I'm okay. Where are my clothes?" She asked and started to tug at the IV again.

"Kate, stop! Okay, you win, but you're coming home with me. You and your sons can stay with us for a few days, just until you're feeling better. Okay?" He bargained with her.

"I just want to go home Jack and I just want you to let me do that. Will you please just bring me my children and let me go home?" She sighed and sat back on the bed, fresh tears streaming down her face.

"Fine, but you'll need to sign an AMA form. It just basically says you're leaving against medical advice. I'll get a nurse in here to remove your IV." Jack said, resigned to the fact that there was nothing he could do to change her mind.

"Thank you. Will you please bring my boys to me?" She asked.

"I'll take you to them." He said.

"No, you don't have to do that. Just bring them here and we'll take a cab home." She said.

"Now you're just being ridiculous. Get dressed Kate. I'll take you to your kids and take all of you home." He said in a no nonsense tone and left the room.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thank you for all the nice reviews! It's very much appreciated!**_

Jack maneuvered the large SUV onto the highway and began his 20 minute drive to his daughters' school. He'd like to say he was surprised when his youngest daughter brought home a note the previous Friday stating that his presence for a conference with her teacher was being requested, but he wasn't. Kendall was his little rebel and the cause of much frustration for him. She was little and cute and so rebellious he was certain her teenage years were going to be his worst nightmare. He wasn't sure what Kendall had done and Kendall wasn't eager to fess up, feigning complete ignorance because she knew she was going to be punished and didn't want to be punished over a weekend. The idea that his baby daughter was smart enough or clever enough to have that all figured out made him wonder briefly if he was raising a sociopath.

The meeting was scheduled for late in the afternoon so he'd be able to pick his daughters up and take them home with him. They were counting on it and had made plans to have dinner together in their favorite restaurant and afterwards they were going to go by and check on Kate who had won the battle of wills and gone home with her children the day before.

Jack was seated in the back of the room with the Kindergarten teacher while the children were busy coloring and surprisingly quiet.

"Mr. Shephard I know you're a busy man so I'll make this brief." The woman said.

"It's fine. I'm never too busy for my children." He said.

"There was an incident last Friday. One of the boys took a crayon from Kendall and she punched him and then bit his arm until he let go of the crayon." She said.

"I'm sorry about that. Is the boy okay?" Jack asked.

"Yes, he's fine, but his mother was furious and demanding retribution so I assured her I would talk with you about the incident. Does Kendall do things like that often?" She asked.

"Is she a habitual biter? No. Will she stand up for herself by any means possible? Yes. Did you punish her?" Jack asked.

"No, it was just the second day of school and she did apologize to the boy." She said.

"That won't work with Kendall . You have to establish that you are in charge and will accept no nonsense." Jack told her.

The woman was about to respond when Carly appeared in the doorway, very upset and out of breath. Jack immediately went to her.

"Sweetheart what's wrong?" Jack asked.

"Ms. Austen. She won't wake up daddy! She won't wake up!" Carly cried.

"Shh, honey, calm down. What happened?" Jack asked.

"She just fell down and she won't wake up. Come on! You have to help her!" Carly cried and began dragging him away from the classroom.

"Kate's at school today?" He asked as he hurried along with Carly.

"Yes and she made me promise not to tell about her operation. She was talking and then she stood up and she fell down and she won't wake up! I told Mrs. Armstrong you were in the school and she told me to come get you." Carly explained, close to hysterics and dragging her father along by the hand.

Jack entered the classroom with his distraught daughter and saw the small crowd hovering in a circle at the front of the room. He broke through the circle and knelt beside Kate feeling for a pulse and finding a strong one. He felt her face and she was very warm.

"I need everyone to back away and give her some air." Jack ordered.

"Wake her up daddy! Please!" Carly begged, voice choked with tears and her body shaking.

"She's okay Carly and she's going to wake up, I promise. Can someone get me a cool, wet cloth?" Jack asked and looked around the classroom, spotted Mrs. Barrett and shared a knowing look with her.

"Carly, how about you come with me and help me get my kids ready to go home for the day, I know Jordan would like that." Mrs. Barrett said.

"You won't leave without us will you dad?" Carly sniffled.

"I might leave without your punching, biting baby sister, but not without you kiddo." He teased and winked at her, forcing a slight smile onto her face.

He watched Carly leave the room and then took hold of the cool, wet cloth Mrs. Armstrong retrieved for him and began applying it to Kate's face.

"Kate, can you hear me? You need to wake up." He said loudly and watched her eyes begin to flutter.

She stirred for a few moments while he continued to move the cloth over her face and continued to talk loudly to her, finally opening her eyes, startled and pushing his hands away immediately.

"What happened?" She asked.

"You fainted." Jack said.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"I should be asking you the same thing." He said, the tone of disapproval in his voice coming through loud and clear.

"Don't Jack please." She pleaded softly.

"Think you can sit up?" He asked and slowly helped her lift herself up to a seated position.

After a few moments he helped her stand and then walked her to the school's nurse's office, keeping her steady the whole way.

"Do you have any idea how stupid it was for you to come to school today?" He grumbled softly into her ear as they moved along.

"Please don't say anything Jack, please." She begged.

They entered the nurse's office and he sat her down on the small bed and looked around at the limited supplies. He spotted the stethoscope and blood pressure cuff and did his best to make it look like he was doing a very limited exam while Mrs. Armstrong the principal and the school nurse looked on. The nurse took her temperature and with a concerned look showed the results to Jack.

"103 Kate, that's not good." He said and placed the stethoscope on her upper chest.

"Take a deep breath and let it out." He instructed.

He slipped the stethoscope up the back of her shirt and repeated his instructions, finally pulling it away and then taking a peek inside her mouth and nose.

"My best guess is pneumonia, but I need to get a chest x-ray to confirm that. How about we go to my office and get that taken care of." He lied.

"Seriously?" Kate asked, unsure if she was really sick or not.

"Relax Kate, if you take care of yourself, you should be fine in about a week." He said and locked eyes with her.

She understood what he was doing. He wasn't going to reveal her secret, but he was going to make sure she stayed home and rested for the rest of the week.

"But, I've got a classroom full of children to teach." She argued.

"Pneumonia is contagious. Do you really want to take a chance on infecting the kids?" He asked.

"No she doesn't. Take the rest of the week off Kate." The principal said.

"The whole week?" Kate asked.

"Yes, it's an order." She answered and walked out of the room.

"Could you excuse us?" Kate asked the nurse.

The nurse nodded and left the room.

"What the hell are you doing Jack?" She snapped.

"I'm keeping you from ending up in the hospital. Are you out of your mind? What part of stay off your feet and rest did you not understand?" He replied sternly.

"Don't lecture me." She spat.

"Somebody needs to lecture you because you're being stupid and reckless." He spat back.

"I don't have a choice!" She yelled as tears of frustration escaped down her cheeks.

"Shhh, okay. I'm sorry if I upset you." He said softly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and handing her a tissue.

He watched her settle down and continued.

"Listen Kate, you've had a piece of your reproductive system, along with a developing embryo removed and your body and probably your mind on some level needs to heal from that. You're running a fever which hopefully isn't a sign of infection, but I'm going to write you a prescription for antibiotics just to be sure. You need to lie back and let me look at your incisions." He said.

"No. Look Jack, I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself. I need to go pick up my boys and I guess get ready to spend the next four days stuck at home." She said and stood up.

Everything felt fuzzy and swollen and then it all went black. He caught her and lay her down gently on the small bed. When she came around this time, Jack, Mrs. Barrett and Jack's three daughters were sitting in the room. He was applying a cool cloth again and she didn't push his hands away this time, finding his kind face and gentle soothing hands comforting and feeling too sick to fight against him or his medical advice any longer.

"I really don't feel well." She admitted.

"I know. I'm going to sit you up slowly and then after that we're going to attempt to stand slowly." He said and began pulling her up.

When he had her standing he placed a gentle arm around her waist and handed his car keys to Carly.

"Girls, take your sister's hands and don't let go until we get to the car. I'll make sure she gets home safely." Jack told Mrs. Barrett and began slowly walking Kate out of the school and to his surprise she didn't resist.

With everyone tucked safely inside the large SUV, he turned the air vents on Kate and watched, unsure if she was about to get sick or not.

"You okay?" He asked.

"I don't know what's wrong with me." She said.

"When was the last time you ate?" He asked, calmly and kindly.

"I don't know, I haven't been hungry. I have to pick up my kids Jack." She told him.

"That's where we're headed and then we're all going to my house." He told her.

"No." She argued, all of the fight apparently not knocked out of her.

"I've had enough of your stubbornness Kate so this is how it's going to work. We're all going to my house and you're going to let me look at your incisions and then I'm going to call your doctor and let him know what's going on and see what he thinks is best because honestly, this isn't my area of expertise. Hopefully he'll agree you need rest and antibiotics and when I go to get those for you I will pick up dinner and we'll go from there." He told her.

"And if I don't agree?" She asked.

"Then I walk back into that school and tell them what's really going on." He told her firmly, every bit and perhaps even more stubborn than she was.

"You don't play fair do you?" She said with a light laugh, not feeling well at all and ready to concede.

She had little or no memory of the rest of the day. She'd gotten sick on the way to her son's school and everything after that was a blur until she woke up in a strange bed in a strange house. She tried to sit up and felt his hands gently pushing her shoulders back down onto the mattress. She glanced over to her right and noticed the sleeping child beside her.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"It's about eleven o'clock." He answered.

"My kids?" She asked.

"They're down the hall sleeping and don't worry, they've been fed and bathed and did their homework." He said.

"Are you this nice to all the pathetic strangers you meet?" She asked.

"I could've asked you the same thing when you offered to help me out with Carly's problem." He said.

"Yeah, except you're not pathetic." She said.

"Neither are you, but one of your incisions is infected and you're dehydrated. You need to stay quiet for a couple of days and eat and drink. Can you do that for me? Please." He asked.

"I feel so awful I'd probably agree to anything right this minute." She said.

"Good, that means I won't have to fight you when I suggest you stay with us until you feel better." He told her and offered a gentle smile.

"I'd probably agree to marry you if you promised I'd never have to feel this bad again." She teased.

"Well, let's not get carried away. We need to have a least one date before we jump right into marriage, but that'd certainly make those nosey women you work with happy wouldn't it?" He teased back.

"I'm sorry Jack." She said.

"For what?" He asked.

"For being such a hateful, unappreciative pain in the ass." She sighed.

"You're not, you're just stressed to the max and tired, a tired most people can't even imagine." He sympathized.

"Scared, you forgot scared." She offered.

"Yeah, there is that too isn't there?" He agreed.

"So is this Carly's bed?" Kate asked and looked at the sleeping child again.

"No, this is my bedroom. She was still a little shaken over what happened today so I let her lay down in here until she fell asleep." He said.

"I'm sorry I traumatized your daughter Jack." Kate said.

"It's not your fault. She was already traumatized. What happened today just brought the trauma back to the surface. You know Carly hasn't formed attachments since…in a long time, but for some reason she has latched onto you and what happened to you today really freaked her out." He told her.

"She's latched on to me?" Kate asked.

"If that makes you uncomfortable I'll do whatever I can to discourage it." He said.

"Don't you dare. It's fine, I'm just sorry I upset her so badly. I should've listened to you Jack and I appreciate everything you've done for me and for my boys." She said and smiled at him, appreciating just how handsome he was for the first time since she'd met him.

"Your kids are great. If I wasn't so attached to her, I'd trade my youngest for yours. He's such a sweet, compliant little boy and I suspect compliant is a word that will never be in Kendall 's vocabulary." He said and laughed lightly.

"Are you suggesting that adorable little girl isn't sugar and spice and everything nice?" Kate asked.

"I'm not suggesting it, it's a fact. Her sisters and I know it, but we love her anyway." He said making her smile again.

"It's good to see you smiling Kate." He said.

"I was thinking about something?" She said.

"Yeah, what's that?" He asked.

"I was thinking that those nosey women might not be so crazy after all." She admitted making him smile.

"Oh, so the idea of being hooked up with me was crazy?" He laughed.

"No, just the idea of being hooked up with anyone." She sighed.

"I can definitely relate to that, but I agree with you, the nosey women weren't crazy and as soon as you're feeling better we'll hook up if you want to." He told her and then laughed when her eyes got as big as saucers.

"I was just checking to see if it was really you or the drugs talking. I think dinner and a movie sounds nice though don't you?" He asked sweetly.

"It sounds perfect." She told him, her sleepy eyes beginning to get a glazed look to them.

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

"Goodnight Kate." He said and left the bedroom.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Thank you so much for all the kind reviews, I really appreciate it! I'm sorry it took me a whole week to update, but I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to sit down at my computer. Things should settle down soon so I hope you'll be patient with me.  
**_

Jack pulled into the parking lot of the elementary school. He had decided to pick up Kate's sons before driving to the daycare to pick up his daughters because their school was closer to the hospital than the daycare was. He parked the vehicle and made his way into the large gymnasium where he'd gone with Kate the day before. The two younger boys spotted him and ran to him excitedly, Tucker, the youngest one holding his arms up wanting to be picked up. Jack picked the little boy up and patted Simon gently on the back of the head.

"Are we going to stay at your house again tonight?" Simon asked.

"I don't know bud, we'll have to see how your mom is feeling." Jack answered.

"Mommy is going to be mad at Kenny." Simon told him.

"Why is she going to be mad at Kenny?" Jack asked as he began scanning the facility for the boy.

"Cuz he was playing football and got scraped up and mommy doesn't allow us to play football." Simon explained.

Jack spotted Kate's oldest son in the far corner being attended to and walked toward him. The front of his shirt was torn and bloody, his arm was bleeding as was his chin and he had a nasty goose egg on his forehead. He set Tucker down and kneeled in front of Kenny.

"You're in so much trouble Kenny." Simon taunted.

"Shut up Simon." Kenny hissed.

"Come on guys, that's not nice. You're brothers. You're supposed to look out for one another. What happened to you?" Jack asked and pressed gently on the bump on his forehead.

"Billy Huffinger tackled me on the blacktop." Kenny answered fighting the pain and the tears every bit as stubbornly as Jack had watched Kate fight her pain and tears.

"A group of them were playing football. They know they aren't supposed to tackle, but boys will be boys. Please tell his mother we're sorry and that Billy will be punished." The woman tending to Kenny's wounds told him.

"Was it intentional?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, he was mad because I kept dodging his touches and scoring. Ouch! Stop!" Kenny screamed at the woman who was gently dabbing at the scrape on his arm.

"Kenny hurt." Tucker said sadly and climbed back into Jack's arms.

"I'm okay Tuck, don't cry." Kenny assured his youngest sibling, putting on a brave face even though Jack knew he had to be hurting pretty bad, so much like the woman he'd been battling with the past few days he couldn't help but smile.

"How about we get out of here and I'll clean those wounds up when we get to my house?" Jack suggested.

"Nuh uh, you're a doctor. It'll hurt too bad. Let's just leave them dirty." Kenny objected, making Jack chuckle lightly.

Jack gathered the three boys and left the school. He picked up his daughters and called Kate to let her know her kids were safe. Thirty minutes later he arrived home with six hungry kids and enough chicken and all the fixings to feed a small army, which is exactly what they had. Kate was lying on the couch fighting sleep when the large brood entered the house. She sat up to greet them and the smile on her face immediately disappeared when she saw Kenny.

"Oh my god! What happened to you?" She screeched and then hurt herself trying to get up too fast.

"Kate, it looks worse than it is." Jack told her and eased her back down onto the couch.

"Come on kids, let's go eat." Carly said, holding up the bags of food and leading the younger children out of the family room.

"I'll be out to help in a second Carly." Jack said.

"I got it dad. Just fix Kenny up. He's not very appetizing to look at." Carly said, forcing Jack to bite back a grin.

"Baby what happened? Did you get in a fight?" Kate asked.

Kenny looked at Jack, wondering if he lied to his mother if Jack would back him up. The look Jack gave him seemed to indicate that he wouldn't so he fessed up hoping that he looked pitiful enough to avoid a lecture.

"Me and the guys were playing football and….." Kenny started.

"See this is why I don't want you playing football, but I'm not going to get mad at you while you're all beat up. Is he really okay Jack?" Kate asked and brushed her hand over the large bump on his forehead that was turning various colors of black, blue, and purple.

"That bump looks bad, but he's not showing any symptoms of head trauma so I'm pretty sure he's fine. We'll keep an eye on him tonight just to make sure though. Come on Kenny let's get those scrapes cleaned up so you can eat." He said.

"No, please, it hurts too much." Kenny pleaded, moving to his mother's side and finally losing the battle with his tears.

Kate put her arms around him and rocked him gently while Jack left the room in search of what he needed to clean the boy's wounds. When he returned Kenny was calm again, but not about to leave the safety of his mother's arms. Jack sat his supplies on the coffee table and sat beside them on the table.

"Kenny, I promise I'm not going to hurt you. In fact, the magic stuff in this can is going to make the pain stop." Jack told him in a soft voice.

"You think I'm a baby don't you?" Kenny asked, pulling away from his mother's embrace.

"No, I think you're very brave. I could tell you were in a lot of a pain, but that you didn't want to scare your brothers, so you didn't cry or scream. You're pretty tough, I think I would've been crying my eyes out if it'd been me." Jack said as he gently took hold of the boy's arm and sprayed the anesthetic over the large scrape.

"You're a grown up, you wouldn't cry, you're just saying that stuff so…Hey! It doesn't hurt anymore." Kenny said and moved further away from his mother.

Jack sprayed the other scrape and carefully cleaned and bandaged them while he was numb. When he was done he handed him four children's chewable ibuprofen tablets.

"What's that for?" Kate asked.

"Those scrapes are going to feel pretty bad tonight. That'll take the edge off." He said and watched the boy chew the tablets.

"Can I go eat now?" Kenny asked.

"Don't you think you should thank Jack first?" Kate asked.

"Thank you Jack, you won't tell anyone I cried will you?" He asked, genuinely concerned someone might find out.

"It's okay to cry you know, but I promise, I'll never tell anyone." Jack told him.

"Thanks Jack. Can I go eat now?" He asked.

"You're welcome and yes, please, go eat. There's no way my girls will eat all that food." Jack said.

They watched him run out of the room toward the kitchen and then looked at one another.

"So you're one of those unreasonable anti-football moms huh?" Jack teased.

"He's been begging me all summer to let him play this year, but it's just too violent. He should play the violin or something." Kate said making him laugh lightly.

"Are you trying to get his assed kicked Kate?" He asked.

"There's nothing wrong with a boy playing a musical instrument." She objected.

"No, not at all, I took piano lessons as a kid." He told her.

"And did you get beat up because of it?" She asked.

"No, because I never told anyone about it and because I did things other boys did." Jack said.

"You're a doctor, you should be advising me against letting my little boy get knocked around." Kate argued.

"Kate, he's 11, how hard are a bunch of 11 year olds going to be knocking each other around? Besides, if you let him play on a team he'll be wearing protective equipment. Right now he's playing street ball with no protection what-so-ever." Jack reasoned.

"You're just taking his side because you're a guy and you're all impossible when it comes to your machismo. How would you feel if one of your daughters came home wanting to join the football team?" She asked.

"I fully expect Kendall do come home asking to do that any day now." He laughed, making her laugh.

Kate and her boys spent two more days and nights with Jack and his girls and on Friday morning, Kate demanded to have her independence back and drove her children to school before driving herself home. She was busy catching up on the laundry and had just put a load into the washer when her cell phone began ringing. It was Jack. She looked at her watch, rolled her eyes and answered the phone.

"Jack, it's been a few hours. I'm fine. I feel like I could run a marathon." She said.

"That's good to know Kate, but I wasn't calling to check up on you." He chuckled into the phone.

"Oh, then why are you calling?" She asked.

"Well, I was wondering if you're still interested in being hooked up with me." He said the confidence in his voice suddenly replaced by a nervous awkwardness.

"Boy, you're out of practice aren't you?" She giggled, suddenly feeling nervous and awkward herself.

"A little bit. What do you say? You and me, dinner tomorrow night?" He asked.

"I have to see if I can get someone to watch the boys, but yeah sure, that sounds like fun." She said.

"Great. I'll pick you up at seven." He said.

"Sounds good." She said.

Jack stood in his bathroom trying to decide if he should wear a tie or go with an open collar.

"Open collar dad." Carly said from the doorway, making him jump.

"So you're speaking to me again. Does this mean I'm forgiven?" He asked.

She approached him and he leaned down so she could hug him and kiss him on the cheek.

"I love you daddy and I want you to have fun once in awhile, but there must be a gazillion women out there so why did your first date since mom died have to be with my brand new teacher?" She sighed.

"Because she's the first woman I've met since your mom died that made me want to go out on a date. There's something about her Carly, I can't explain it, but if it's going to make you miserable I will make this my last date with her." He offered.

"Do you promise to never kiss her or hold her hand or touch her in any way in front of the kids at school?" Carly asked.

"It's one date sweetheart, but I promise that if it turns into more than one date there will be no kissing at school." He said, holding her face gently and kissing her forehead.

"Eww….daddy your hands are all sweaty." Carly groaned and wiped her face in pretend disgust.

Meanwhile….a few miles across town…..

Kate stood in front of the mirror putting the finishing touches on her make-up, adding a quick spray of perfume and then exiting the bathroom to find her three little men lined up on her bed.

"You look beautiful mommy." Simon said sweetly.

"Thank you sweetie. Mommy is actually feeling kind of beautiful this evening." Kate told him and kissed him on the cheek.

"What time are you coming home?" Kenny grumbled.

"I'm not sure honey, but I'm sure it won't be too late." She told him, recognizing that her eldest child was none too happy with her at the moment.

"Simon honey, could you take Tucker into the living room. I want to talk to your brother." Kate said and watched the two younger boys leave the room.

"I don't want to talk mom." Kenny said angrily.

"I thought you liked Jack." She said.

"He's okay, but you never went on a date before." Kenny sighed, no longer angry, just confused and a little sad.

"That's because I never wanted to go on a date before, but there's something about him Kenny, something that makes me want things I haven't cared about in a long time, but if it's upsetting you this much I'll tell him we can't have anymore dates after tonight." Kate offered.

"Is Jack the reason you feel beautiful tonight mom?" He asked, his tone sincere.

"I don't know, maybe." Kate answered honestly.

"Do you think Dad is going to be mad?" Kenny asked sadly.

Kate sat beside him and put her arm around him, pulling him close.

"Baby, I know you're confused about your dad and I promise that when you get old enough to understand I will explain it all to you, but honey he's not coming back and you and me and your brothers, we have to move on." She explained.

"If you keep having dates with Jack do you think he might want to come watch one of my games?" Kenny asked.

"I don't know sweetie, you'd have to ask him." Kate told him and hugged him tightly.

Jack arrived at seven sharp and knocked lightly on the door. Simon answered and stood back so he could step inside. Kate entered the room and he swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly completely void of any moisture as all of it seemed to have pooled into his hands.

"Hey Jack!" Kenny said and moved toward him with a beat up football helmet in his hands.

"Hey Kenny, whatcha got there?" He asked and took the helmet from him.

"Thanks to you, I'm on the football team. I'm late getting on the team, but the coach says I'm learning really fast." Kenny said proudly.

"That's great. Let me know when your first game is. The girls and I will come cheer you on." Jack offered with a smile.

"Really? I mean, um…..yeah, sure okay." Kenny said, turning away and shooting a large grin at his mother.

They sat in the restaurant enjoying their meal and making small talk. Both had been nervous and awkward most of the evening and the tension between them was growing thicker by minute.

"Jack, why are we suddenly so uncomfortable around each other?" She asked.

"This is kind of brutal isn't it?" He laughed lightly.

"We lived under the same roof for four days and got along great, so why are we suddenly so uptight we're about to choke to death on our food?" She asked.

"I'm sorry Kate, it's been a really long time since I've been on a date." He admitted.

"Yeah me too. Well except for the pathetic drunken romp that led to my little emergency. What must you think of me?" She said and shook her head, feeling ashamed.

She felt his hand cover hers and looked up.

"I think you're beautiful, courageous and strong." He said sweetly, his eyes soft and warm.

"You're very sweet Jack, but I know you're curious about how I ended up raising three boys alone." She said.

"Probably no more curious than you are about how I ended up raising three girls alone, but that kind of stuff can wait for date number two or three or even later. I'm assuming that since you're out on a date with me that you aren't married and that's all I need to know tonight." He said and began to relax.

"No, most definitely not married." She said and met his eyes again.

"Hey, it's a beautiful night. Want drive out to the beach?" He asked.

"Mmm…..are you offering a warm beach, a blanket and some wine coolers?" She asked and also began to relax.

"Well, I was thinking beer for myself, but I'll get you some wine coolers." He said and smiled.

They sat side by side on the blanket sipping their respective beverage and listening to the calming sounds of the ocean tide coming in and going back out, the only light coming from the portable lantern he pulled from the back of his SUV. They'd spent nearly two hours talking about everything except how they ended up raising their children alone and the longer they talked the more comfortable they became with one another. She sat her wine cooler in the sand and lay down on the blanket, stretching her arms out before folding her hands underneath the back of her head.

"This is so perfect Jack. I can't remember the last time I got to enjoy peace and quiet and good company all at the same time. Can we stay here? Do you think our kids would miss us?" She teased making him smile and lay down beside her on his side, his upper body propped up on one elbow.

"I never got a chance to say anything when I picked you up because my mouth went dry, but you look absolutely amazing tonight. What kind of man brings a lady dressed so beautifully to a sandy beach and gives her wine coolers?" He asked as he gently traced along her jaw-line with his fingertip.

"Apparently the kind of man I like because I can't remember the last time I enjoyed myself as much as I have tonight." She told him.

"Carly made me promise that we'd never kiss each other at school. Do you think she has anything to worry about?" He spoke softly, seductively as he moved his face closer to hers.

"I don't know, maybe…" She started, but was cut off by his mouth closing over hers.

He kissed her slowly and sensuously, moaning lightly when she took hold of the back of his neck and opened her mouth for him, inviting his warm, wet tongue inside to explore while hers did the same. They continued their slow, passionate assault on each other's mouth until the need for air forced them to separate. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled onto his back, bringing her with him. She looked down at him, her pretty eyes flickering in the glow of the lantern and kissed him softly.

"Jack." She said softly.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"I think Carly's got a lot to worry about." She said, locking him up in another deep passionate kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Thank you for the enthusiastic reviews! I hope you continue to enjoy reading this!**_

He slowly walked her to her front door and they stood facing one another, their fingers linked together.

"Would you like to come in?" She asked.

"I would, but it's getting late and I should get home to my girls." He said.

"Yeah, I'm sure Tucker will be in my face bright and early demanding his Sunday morning pancakes. The kid still can't tell the difference between his left shoe and his right shoe, but somehow he always knows when it's Sunday." She said and he smiled at her.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing, it's just that we have the same Sunday morning ritual, you know because there's just not time during the week for more than cereal or toast or instant oatmeal." He said.

"Yeah and Saturdays are for sleeping in." She said.

"Exactly." He agreed and chuckled lightly.

"I had a really good time Jack." She said and gripped his hands a little tighter.

"So did I. Can we do it again, maybe next Friday night?" He asked.

"Can I call you one day this week and let you know for sure? I'm not sure what the boys have going on this week." She said.

"You can call me anytime, but I'm going to be in surgery a lot this week so the odds of you getting anything other than my voice mail aren't in your favor. How about I call you on Wednesday or Thursday and we'll go from there." He offered.

"Sure, that'd be great." She said.

They stood quietly for a moment gazing into one another's eyes, neither wanting to end the date, but both knowing they had to. He finally leaned in and kissed her softly, feeling her arms come up and go around his neck. He followed suit and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and deepening the kiss. They finally broke the kiss and stood quietly, their foreheads touching and their breathing slightly labored.

"Wow." She said breathlessly.

"Yeah." He agreed, just as breathless.

"Goodnight Jack." She said and gave him one last quick peck on the lips before pulling away and putting her key in the lock.

"Goodnight Kate." He said as she stepped safely inside.

Jack entered his home around 5 PM. It was Friday evening, his daughters were getting ready to go to a birthday party at the skating rink and he had two hours before he was supposed to pick up Kate for their date. He walked into his bedroom, tiredly sat on the bed and began removing his tie. He didn't hear them enter his bedroom.

"Dad you have to make her change." Carly demanded, startling him.

He looked up and noticed what had Carly in such an uproar. Kendall was wearing her Katarina costume (half cat, half ballerina) from last Halloween or at least the pink and black body suit, black tutu, and black tights part of it. She'd apparently shown mercy on her sister and forgone the black tail and ears. He couldn't help but laugh lightly when he saw her and how mortified his oldest daughter was.

"It's not funny dad! All of my friends are going to be at the skating rink. Can you please make her not dress like a dork?" She pleaded with him.

" Kendall honey, it's not Halloween. No costumes. Want me to help you find something to wear?" He asked in his kindest daddy tone.

"It's not a costume daddy. I taked off the tail and the ears. The skaters on TV wear this." She argued.

"She does look kind of cute Carly." Jack offered.

"Dad no, please, just this once don't let her have her way just because she's the baby." Carly pleaded.

"I'm not a baby!" Kendall shouted.

Jack looked between his two daughters, hating to have to disappoint either one of them, but since Carly was always making concessions on behalf of her younger sisters he decided he was going to give her this one.

"Sorry baby girl, you can't wear your Halloween costume to the skating rink." Jack told her in the tone that even his youngest child had learned meant end of discussion.

If it had been Jordan he would've had to prepare himself for the tears and the meltdown and the begging and pleading that would follow the decision because his tone of voice was irrelevant to her, but Kendall simply hung her head and turned to leave the room grumbling something that sounded an awful lot like "You suck!"

"Excuse me?" Jack said sternly.

"Nuffin daddy." Kendall mumbled and left the bedroom.

"What do you guys want to eat?" Jack asked Carly, the fatigue he was feeling coming through in his voice.

"There's going to be hot dogs and stuff at the skating rink. You look really tired Dad." Carly said.

"I'm fine. Candice is going to be here at six. I better make sure your sister finds something appropriate to wear by then." He said and walked out of the bedroom with Carly.

He saw his daughters off, made sure Candice was going to stay with them when she brought them home if he wasn't home yet and took a quick shower. He sat on the bed in his jeans, his shirt hanging on the chair and looked at his socks as if he could will them onto his feet if he stared at them hard enough. He lay back onto the pillows and looked at his watch. He mumbled that he'd rest for just 10 minutes and closed his eyes.

Eight hours later his eyes popped open. He looked at the clock beside his bed, saw that it was after two in the morning and groaned. He grabbed his cell phone hoping he might find a missed call or a text, but found nothing. If she'd been angry with him she would've at the very least left a hateful text message, but nothing at all meant that he'd probably hurt her feelings and she was believing he'd intentionally stood her up.

"Fuck!" He grumbled, rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.

At 5 AM he gave up the battle to find more sleep and got up. He peeked in on his sleeping kids and made his way into the kitchen. Three hours later he roused his sleeping children, fed them and as soon as they were all dressed for the day, loaded them into the car.

"Where are we going daddy?" Jordan asked.

"We are going to go to the flower shop and then we are going to Kate's house to see if your dummy dad can fix things." He said.

"What did you do?" Carly asked.

"I fell asleep. I never left the house last night." He admitted.

"She was awfully happy at school yesterday dad. I don't think there's going to be enough flowers in the flower shop to fix this." Carly told him.

"Thanks kiddo, that makes me feel about hundred times worse than I already did." He said and looked over at his daughter.

"I knew you were too tired to go out last night. You should've just called her and explained. Now she's probably all sad and stuff." Carly said.

"You definitely have your dad's bedside manner." He told her and chuckled lightly.

They pulled into the driveway of Kate's home and he turned the engine off. He looked over at Carly and she handed him the flowers he'd just bought.

"Just get it over with dad. The worst thing she's gonna do is slam the door in your face." She told him.

"How old are you again?" He asked making her smile.

"We'll wait here until you're done." Carly told him.

Jack approached Kate's front door like a doomed man walking to his execution. She was watching him through the blinds and felt bad for him. She wasn't angry or hurt. She'd seen enough to know he lived a very busy and stressful life so she wasn't going to jump to any conclusions. Besides, she'd been on the receiving end of that kiss goodnight and knew in her heart that he hadn't intentionally stood her up. She made her way to the front door and opened it before he had a chance to ring the bell.

"Kate, I am so sorry." He said and handed her the flowers.

"I'm not. Do you know how long it's been since a man gave me flowers." She teased and smiled at him, the relief washing over his face making her feel good about her decision to act like a grown up over what had happened.

"I feel so awful. I was just going to rest my eyes for 10 minutes and the next thing I knew it was 2 AM." He admitted.

"You fell asleep?" She asked holding back the giggle that wanted to surface.

"I did and I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me?" He asked.

"You know Jack I understand the load you're carrying so in the future, if we have plans and you're too tired, just call me. I won't get mad. Truth be told, I was too tired to go out last night too." She said.

"Does that mean you still want to go out with me?" He asked.

"You owe me a date bud and I plan on collecting on the debt." She said and smiled at him.

"I promise to pay it back, with interest, but until then would you and the boys be interested in coming over for dinner?" He asked.

"You don't have to do that Jack, really it's okay, I'm not mad." Kate said.

"I believe you, but I was really looking forward to spending some time with you and let's face it Kate, with six kids between us, we're going to have to include them or we're never going to see each other except in passing." He reasoned.

"Say yes mom!" A young boy's voice chimed in from behind her, making both of them laugh.

"I guess we're coming over for dinner. What time?" She asked.

"We can eat around six, but you're welcome to come earlier if you want." He said.

"Great, I'll bring dessert." She said.

They stood for a moment looking at one another, neither wanting to be the first to say goodbye.

"Is it okay if I kiss you goodbye?" He finally asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" She asked.

"Because there are six pairs of eyes on us and I didn't know how you felt about that." He said.

"Wow, there really is at least one true gentleman left in the world. It's okay." She told him.

He leaned in and kissed her softly, keeping his mouth pressed to hers for a few seconds and then pulling away. She placed her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him back in.

"Now kiss me like you mean it." She breathed and then moaned as he pulled her close and kissed her passionately.

"See you around four?" He asked in a breathless tone, still holding her close.

"You said six." She giggled.

"I know, but I also said to come early. You could come now if you wanted." He offered with a grin.

"Goodbye Jack." She laughed, kissing him once more quickly and moving back inside her house.

Kate and the boys arrived at Jack's around five o'clock. The boys immediately made themselves at home in the family room with the girls while Kate slipped out onto the back patio where Jack was cleaning the biggest grill she'd ever seen in her life.

"Are you planning on grilling an entire side of beef or what?" She teased.

"Or one of the kids if they get out of hand." He teased back.

"Jack, that's awful. You should never wonder why Kendall is as rotten as you claim she is because she apparently comes by it honestly." Kate said.

"That's funny, I was thinking the same thing about Tucker. He's definitely as sweet as his mom." Jack said and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

Jack finished cleaning up the dishes and was just about to join Kate and the kids in the family room when he spotted Kenny in the hallway looking somewhat distressed and waving him over.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked as he approached.

"Shh, I don't want mom to hear." Kenny whispered and dragged him into the hallway.

"Kenny what's going on?" Jack asked quietly.

"I think I've got a really bad disease." The boy told him, very upset and in quite a bit of discomfort.

"Why?" Jack asked.

"I've got red stuff and blisters all over me." He told him.

"Did you show your mom?" Jack asked.

"I can't, it's down there." Kenny said and pointed at his crotch.

Jack took the boy by the hand and led him out of the dark hallway and into one of the bedrooms. He closed the door and turned the light on and looked the boy over, not really seeing anything more than a light rash on one of his hands.

"Does it look like this rash on your hand?" Jack asked.

"No, it's redder and it hurts and itches so bad I can't stand it anymore. Please don't make me show my mom." He told him, obviously a little miserable, embarrassed and scared.

"Can you show me? I can't help you if I don't know what it is." Jack said and squatted down.

Kenny dropped his pants and Jack immediately felt pity for the boy. His entire genital area and upper thighs were covered with a deep red rash and large oozing blisters.

"What is it Jack? Am I going to die because I feel like I'm going to die." Kenny said.

"No, you're not going to die although I can certainly understand why you feel like you might. Have you been playing in some bushes Kenny and did you maybe urin…..um…go to the bathroom outside?" Jack asked.

"At football practice the guys said I had to do it. They said all the guys had to do it and since I came in late I was the last one that had to do it." Kenny said.

"Do what?" Jack asked.

"I had to pull my pants down, walk way into the bushes and pee." Kenny told him.

"Turn around." Jack said.

Kenny turned around and his butt was also covered with the rash, but no blisters. Jack stood and patted the boy on the shoulder and Kenny pulled his pants back up.

"I think your teammates played a pretty mean trick on you. You've got a pretty bad case of poison ivy. How long has it been bothering you?" Jack asked.

"Uh, it just started tonight." Kenny lied.

"That did not just start tonight. I need you tell me the truth Kenny so I'll know how to treat it. It's okay, I won't be mad." Jack told him and placed a comforting hand on his arm.

"It started two or three days ago. Can you still fix it? I'll even take a shot if I have to." Kenny told him, so eager for some relief he was willing to take a needle and Jack had to resist the urge to smile.

"No, no shots, but I can help you feel better." Jack said.

"And you won't tell my mom?" Kenny asked.

"No, I have to tell your mom, but I'll do my best to assure her that she doesn't need to look at it. Okay?" Jack tried to comfort at least the boy's fear of having to expose himself to his mother.

"It really feels bad Jack." Kenny groaned.

"I know, come on. A cool bath, some calamine lotion and some hydrocortisone should relieve a lot of that discomfort." Jack said.

"Thanks Jack. I'm sorry I've been such a pain. I usually don't ever get hurt or sick." Kenny said.

"You haven't been a pain Kenny." Jack assured him, ruffling his hair and leading him down the hallway to the bathroom.

While Jack was tending to Kenny's problem, Kate was tending to the rest of the children. Simon and Tucker were working a puzzle together at the table in one corner of the room while the girls were watching television. Kate sat in the middle of the sofa with Carly on one side and Kendall snuggled up close to her on the other side, both girls seeming to almost crave the attention of the pretty lady. Jordan wasn't as quick to warm up to her as the other two girls, always keeping a safe distance and watching her. She moved closer to the coffee table, went up onto her knees and rested her elbows on the table, looking directly at Kate. Kate smiled at her, taking note of how she much she looked like her father.

"Why did you kiss my dad?" Jordan finally asked.

"Jordie, that's rude!" Carly scolded her.

"It's okay Carly. I kissed him because I like him." Kate told her.

"Does he like you too? Is that why he kissed you?" Jordan asked.

"Yes, that's right." Kate answered.

"Is that why that boy kissed you last night Carly?" Jordan asked.

"Shut up Jordan !" Carly hissed.

"You kissed a boy last night?" Kate asked her.

"Kate please don't tell my dad." Carly pleaded.

"You've got two younger sisters Carly, he's going to find out." Kate said.

"It wasn't a real kiss, not like you and my dad. His friends dared him to kiss me so he did and I didn't even like it." Carly explained.

"Did you tell him you didn't like it?" Kate asked.

"I punched him in the stomach. I think he got the message." Carly said, making Kate laugh lightly.

"You should tell your dad about it before your sisters do. That way it won't seem like you're trying to keep it from him." Kate suggested.

"But I am trying to keep it from him." Carly said.

"You shouldn't keep things from him Carly. He's the one person on this earth that is always, no matter what, going to be in your corner." Kate told her.

"Will you tell him for me?" Carly asked.

"Okay, but I can't promise he's not going to want to talk to you about it." Kate agreed.

Later in the evening, with the Poison Ivy crisis handled, dessert fed to six little human garbage disposals and the last of the six children finally asleep, Jack and Kate sat on the sofa in the dimly lit room and enjoyed a relaxing glass of wine. She'd relaxed back into him, the back of her head resting against the lower front of his shoulder with his arm comfortably and securely around her. It was such a warm, comforting feeling that she was certain she could stay like that for hours and never move or speak.

"Are you sure Kenny is okay?" She asked.

"He'll be a little uncomfortable for a few days, but he'll be okay. You should take him to his pediatrician though if it will make you feel better." Jack said.

"No, I trust your diagnosis, but if he won't let me help him with it how will I know whether or not it's getting better? It's ridiculous. I'm his mother. I should be able to take care of him no matter what." She said.

"Kate, he's eleven. He can treat the area himself. Mothers rubbing calamine lotion on their 11 year old son's testicles is the kind of thing that keeps therapists in business." He said and laughed lightly.

"Keep poking fun buddy, but apparently I'm not the only over-protective parent sitting on this couch or your daughter wouldn't be afraid to tell you that a boy kissed her at the skating rink last night." She said and nudged him gently with her elbow.

"Please tell me some cute five year old kissed Kendall ." He groaned.

"No, sorry, but if it makes you feel better, she didn't want the kiss and punched the boy in the stomach for doing it." Kate laughed.

"That's my girl. She can be so mature that sometimes I have to remind myself that she's only 12, hell she's barely 12. Then there are nights like Thursday night when she wakes up screaming 'daddy, daddy, daddy' and she seems so small and helpless and I just want to protect her from the world." He sighed.

"Ah, so that's why you were so tired last night." Kate said.

"Well that and the fact that I'd been so busy with work that I hadn't seen my kids or slept much all week. Carly's nightmares typically resurface when I have stretches where we don't see each other for days at a time." He admitted.

"How do you go days at a time without seeing your kids? Who takes care of them?" Kate asked.

"I'm a very busy surgeon Kate, but I try to schedule things so that I only have a couple of weeks out of the month where I leave the house before the sun comes up and don't get home until long after the sun has set. My neighbor Candice helps me out with the kids. You met her. She's a godsend. Her husband died about six years ago and her two children are grown and live in another state and she just kind of adopted us." Jack explained.

"You're lucky to have each other." Kate said.

"What about you? Do you have anyone to help you out once in awhile?" He asked.

"Yeah, you know the random friend here and there, but nothing as steady as a lonely neighbor looking for a surrogate family." She said.

"I don't think Candice is lonely, she's just one of those people who has arms big enough to hug the world. She's got a life, friends and I think maybe even a boyfriend. She used to help my wife out with the kids when I'd have long stretches at the hospital and I guess she just never stopped doing that, although I'm pretty sure with me she does it a lot more." Jack said.

"So how long have you been doing this Jack, raising your daughters by yourself?" She asked.

"I've been on my own with them for almost four years. How about you? How long have you been doing the single parent thing?" He asked.

"Same as you, Tucker was a tiny infant, so almost four years." She answered.

She set her wine glass on the table and then took his and did the same before straddling his hips and sitting in his lap facing him. He moved his hands slowly up and down her arms while gazing into her eyes. She leaned in and captured his mouth in a slow, wet, passionate kiss, pulling back and placing a gentle hand on his face.

"I should pack my kids up and go." She said softly.

"They're asleep, you should stay." He argued and drew her in for another intense, electrifying kiss that eventually took them down until they were lying side by side on the couch, bodies pressed together and arms wrapped around one another. He hugged her close and gave her another soft peck on the lips.

"What are we doing Jack?" She asked.

"Hopefully we're getting ready to make out for awhile." He said softly and chuckled lightly.

"No seriously Jack. Whatever this is we're doing, we've involved our children and that's irresponsible." She said and put a little space between them.

"I really like you a lot Kate and whatever this is we're doing, it's not a game to me and based on how it started, it was impossible to not involve the children." He said.

"Two dates in and you're trying to get me to spend the night with you while our children are sleeping down the hall. It certainly feels like a game." She said.

"Kate I just wanted to spend some time alone with you. I had every intention of offering you my bed and sleeping on the couch." He said.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I like you a lot too and that scares me because I really haven't liked anyone in a very long time." She said.

"Believe me, I understand what that feels like and I have no desire to have my heart ripped out again anymore than you do." He said and kissed the tip of her nose.

"So what do we do, because come on Jack I know you feel it, this is already intense." She said.

"You're right, it is, so how about we not be so afraid of getting hurt that we miss out on something that has the potential to be pretty great." He offered.

"How do we do that?" She asked.

"Like this….(kisses her neck) and this…(kisses her face) and this….(kisses her mouth) and wherever tonight, and the night after that, and the night after that takes us, it takes us." He said and kissed her passionately, rolling her onto her back and deepening the kiss while his strong hands moved slowly down her body.

She slowly began to melt and relax into his kisses and caresses and wondered if she'd ever felt anything as good as what she was experiencing, if she would be able to handle how potentially good things between them could get without exploding, and if he was falling as quickly and has hard as she was.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Thank you for the nice reviews! You're all awesome!**_

Kate sat behind her desk grading papers and glancing up at the clock every few minutes to make sure she wouldn't be late picking up her boys. As much as she hated leaving her boys in the care of the latch-key program before and after school, the hour in the morning and the two hours she spent after school preparing lessons and grading papers allowed her to focus solely on her children and their needs in the evenings and on the weekends. She heard a light knock and looked up. Sandy Barrett was standing in the doorway.

"Can I come in?" Sandy asked.

"Sure, I'm just about ready to call it day." Kate said.

Sandy entered the classroom, grabbed one of the chairs from the desks and placed it in front of Kate's desk. She sat, leaned forward and smiled at Kate.

"You've been keeping a secret." Sandy said.

"A secret?" Kate asked.

"Yes, apparently little miss 'I'm not interested in dating my student's parents' has had a change of heart." Stacy teased.

"How'd you find out about that?" Kate asked, suddenly on the defensive.

"Jordan Shephard drew an interesting picture today. It was a picture of her daddy and his new girlfriend kissing." Stacy laughed.

"Stacy you can't let this become widespread gossip." Kate pleaded with her.

"Relax Kate, nobody would care, in fact a lot of people would be happy about it." Stacy said.

"Carly would care if the kids knew that her teacher was dating her father." Kate objected.

"Okay, mums the word. So what made you change your mind?" Stacy asked.

"We helped each other out with some personal issues and it just kind of took off from there." Kate said.

"So how long have you been dating? Dish girl, dish." Stacy encouraged.

"It was a couple of weeks after school started, so I guess we've been seeing each other in a romantic sense for a little over four weeks." Kate told her.

"You don't sound happy Kate. Do you not like him?" Stacy asked.

"No, I like him, probably too much. We had a pretty big fight last Saturday and I think that maybe it might be best if we end this thing before we take it to the next level." Kate sighed.

"The next level?" Stacy asked and was met with a look that suggested she was stupid if she needed that explained to her.

"Oh, that next level. So what was the fight about?" Stacy asked.

"He told my son Kenny that he'd come watch his game on Saturday afternoon and he didn't show up. My son was so disappointed." Kate said.

"Did he have a good reason for not showing up?" Stacy asked.

"He got called away on some emergency at the hospital and I get that, I do, but I'm not sure I want to be involved with a man who is gone so much, a man who continually disappoints and refuses to apologize for it. He just expects the people in his life to accept that's how things are and I don't think I like that Stacy. Carly and Jordan both have this sadness about them. It's not something that's out there for people to see, but something that is just below the surface and I can't help but wonder if it's because they feel like they aren't a priority in their father's life." Kate said sadly.

"Kate you've spent the past six weeks getting to know this man. Do you really believe those three little girls aren't a priority in his life?" Stacy asked.

"It's just so sad Stacy. He disappoints them and expects them to just accept that's how things are and they do, they don't give him any grief over it." Kate argued.

"Kate, there are reasons for why those girls carry around a hint of sadness just below the surface and it has nothing to do with their father's busy work schedule. As for how he just expects them to accept the disappointments that come with having a busy surgeon for a father, trust me, that only works on the little disappointments. When it's a big deal they give him plenty of grief over it and like any parent he feels really bad and does what he can to try to make it up to them. Disappointment is a part of life Kate and I understand that you want to protect your boys from being hurt anymore than they already have been, but children need to know that sometimes things just don't work out. Did Jack really not try to do something to make it up to your son?" Stacy asked.

"I didn't give him a chance to. I yelled at him and told him we shouldn't see each other for awhile. He didn't even get mad. He just told me to call him if and when I was ready to see him again. He hasn't called or texted or anything so I guess he'll be just fine if I never call him." Kate said as her eyes filled with tears.

"Kate, I've known Jack for years and we've shared many lengthy conversations during those years and trust me, he's not just fine, but he won't be in a relationship where he's expected to constantly grovel every time his job pulls him away from something that is important to the people he cares about. Don't think for one second that he wasn't upset over having to disappoint your son, but the best he can do is say he's sorry and even though you said he refuses to apologize, I know better. He apologized, he just didn't continue to apologize and grovel and make promises to never let it happen again and that's why you're so put out with him." Stacy said.

"How is it that you such an expert on Jack?" Kate asked, feeling a little sheepish.

"Because four years ago something terrible happened to his family and he needed a friend, someone who would just listen and not try to fix things. You'd be surprised what you learn about people when you just sit back and listen." Stacy said and smiled a knowing smile at her.

"What happened to his wife Stacy?" Kate asked.

"You need to get Jack to tell you about it Kate and while you're at it, you need to tell him about your husband." Stacy said.

"How do you know I haven't told him about my husband?" Kate asked.

"Because you haven't, but I think it's definitely something both of you need to get out into the open, perhaps maybe before you proceed to that next level." Stacy said.

"I doubt there will be a next level, he probably won't want to talk to me." Kate sighed.

"He'll talk to you Kate because even though he refuses to grovel, he understands that his busy schedule upsets the people he cares about." Stacy said.

"You've been a good friend to me Stacy. You helped me get this job and you keep my secrets and apparently you keep Jack's secrets as well. So how long have you been planning on hooking us up?" Kate asked and smiled at her.

"That's top secret information, but I will say that it hasn't been easy. You two are easily the most stubborn individuals I've ever encountered in my life." Stacy laughed.

"So, do you have any exciting plans for the weekend?" Kate asked.

"Jim and I are going to drive down to San Diego for the weekend? What about you? Are you going to make that call?" Stacy asked.

"No, I think I'm just going to focus on my boys this weekend. Kenny has a game tomorrow and I need to take Simon and Tucker shopping for shoes." She said.

"Okay, but Kate, don't let the stubborn streak in you ruin a chance at having something wonderful." Stacy said, patting the top of Kate's hand lightly and leaving the room.

Kate sat in the stands watching Kenny and his team warm-up. Simon sat on the bleacher bench below her eating the bag of M&Ms she'd bought for him while Tucker played with a couple of hot wheels at her feet. She was lost in thought and never heard them approach, startled back into reality when the little girl jumped into her lap and hugged her excitedly.

"Hey cutie, what are you doing here?" She asked returning the little girl's hug and looking up at her father with questioning eyes.

"Kenny called me and asked if I was going to come watch him play today." Jack told her.

"He called you? He has your number?" Kate asked.

"Apparently." Jack answered.

"I'm sorry, he shouldn't have done that." Kate said.

"Why not?" Carly asked.

"Because your dad is a very busy man who doesn't need little boys calling him for silly things." Kate answered.

"It's fine Kate and it's not silly. I'm going to go say hello to him, if that's okay with you." Jack said.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Kate asked.

"I don't know. I'm not sure what's okay with you these days." He said and walked away before she could answer.

"Are you mad at my daddy?" Jordan asked.

"No sweetie, we're just having a little misunderstanding. It'll be fine." Kate said.

"You're mad about last Saturday aren't you?" Carly asked.

"Girls, I'm really happy to see you here today, but what goes on between your father and me is private." Kate said.

"I get mad at him sometimes too, but then I feel really sad." Carly said.

"Why do you feel sad?" Kate asked.

"Because I know he loves me a lot and feels really bad when he misses stuff and worries that he's hurting me so when I'm mean to him I know it must really make him feel awful and he doesn't deserve to feel awful because he's a really great dad. He tries really hard to make time for everyone but there just isn't enough of him to go around some days." Carly explained.

"You're a good daughter Carly and a good sister. I know your dad is very proud of you." Kate told her.

"He really likes you a lot Kate and I know he's going to be really sad if you stay mad at him about last Saturday forever. He would've been here if he could." Carly told her and moved down the bleachers to where Tucker was playing.

Kate looked down at the little girl nestled comfortably in her lap and then out toward the football field where Kenny was excitedly greeting Jack. Her son was fine, the disappointment of the previous week forgotten and truth be told that disappointment was probably forgotten about two hours after it happened, by the boy anyway. She watched them for awhile longer, watched as Jack appeared to be giving Kenny instruction and then smiled when they high-fived one another and Jack began walking off the field.

He made his way up the bleachers and sat down beside her. Tucker spotted him and crawled into his lap. He looked over at her and his youngest daughter in her lap and she made eye contact with him.

"Thank you for coming. I know this probably isn't very exciting for you or your kids." She said.

"Are you kidding, I love football and from where I'm sitting my kids look pretty happy." He said and moved a gentle hand over Kendall 's arm.

They sat through the game without speaking much and after halftime, when the younger kids began to get restless, Carly volunteered to take them over to the small playground that was part of the little league sports facility. Jack nudged Kate's arm and pointed toward the field.

"They're goes your son." He said.

"Damn, I liked it better last week when they didn't let him play." She groaned.

"Do you want to close your eyes and I'll tell you when it's over?" He teased.

"Maybe." She admitted.

"Relax Kate, he'll be fine. Besides you might miss him do something really great if you close your eyes." He reasoned.

"Oh, ouch, they crushed him." She moaned and buried her face in his shoulder.

"They didn't crush him, they tackled him. Look, see he's up." He chuckled and gently tried to pry her face from his shoulder even though having her this close again made his heart jump and he would've loved to have just kept her right there.

"No, I can't watch, just tell me when the other side has the ball and my son is safe again." Kate refused, keeping her face buried in his shirt.

Jack placed a comforting hand on her back and continued to watch the game. He watched them hand the ball off to Kenny, saw him squirt through the line with nothing but open field in front of him and forcefully pulled Kate's face away from his shirt.

"You have to watch baby, he's going to score." Jack told her, the pet name slipping out in his excitement, the tiff between them forgotten for the moment.

They stood up with the rest of the people in the bleachers and cheered him on as he ran 60 yards untouched for a touchdown.

"Oh my god he scored! My baby scored!" Kate squealed and threw her arms around Jack's neck.

He hugged her tightly, lifting her off the ground and laughing at how she'd gone from petrified to proud mother so quickly. He set her back down and she looked at him for a moment, his face and his eyes showing how genuinely happy he was for a child that wasn't his and she just reacted. With her arms still around his neck she pulled herself closer and went up on her tip-toes. He lowered his head for the looming kiss and she softly placed her lips on his. They shared a slow, warm, passionate kiss that went on for longer than either would've deemed appropriate considering where they were, but neither wanted to be the first to let go. The low rumbles of "Get a room" coming from a couple of people in the crowd brought them both around and they broke the kiss, both laughing lightly and sat back down. She placed her hand in his and turned to face him.

"I'm sorry Jack." She said.

"Don't be. You're allowed to get upset with me when my job screws up the plans without feeling like you need to apologize. The only thing I want from you is for you to decide whether or not it is something you can deal with it, because if it's not, that's okay, I'd understand." He told her.

"So if I were to tell you that we shouldn't see each other anymore you'd be okay with that?" She asked, sounding more offended than she meant to.

He placed his hand on the side of her face and looked into her eyes.

"No, I'd really hate that because I really like you a lot Kate, but I'd understand." He said and kissed her gently.

"I'd really hate it too. I've…." She started but was interrupted by Simon.

Jack looked down at the boy, who looked so much like his mother it made him smile.

"Can we come over to your house Jack?" Simon asked.

"Simon, we don't invite ourselves to other people's homes." Kate scolded him gently.

"It's not other people mom, it's Jack." Simon argued.

"Daddy you promised us pizza and ice cream if we behaved. We behaved." Jordan objected.

"Can we go eat pizza and ice cream too mom? Please?" Simon begged.

"What do you say Kate, pizza and ice cream and my house?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Is that okay with you Jordan ?" Kate asked, noticing that the little girl didn't seem pleased with the idea.

Jordan simply shrugged and moved away from them, sitting on the bleachers one row down and ignoring them.

"I think that maybe Jordan isn't in the mood to share you with four other people tonight. How about I take my boys home, feed them and then come over later. I'm sure I can get a sitter." Kate said.

"Kate look at his face? How am I supposed to enjoy pizza and ice cream knowing I left that face behind?" Jack asked.

"He'll be fine Jack." Kate insisted.

"And so will Jordan . Please, come with us." Jack said.

"Okay, but if she cries because of this, it's on you." Kate said.

"Oh trust me, if she does one of her dramatic meltdowns, it'll all be on me because nobody else can deal with her when she's like that. She's been headed toward a meltdown since yesterday though so it won't be about you and your kids joining us for the evening." Jack told her.

"Do you have any idea why?" Kate asked.

"No, but it's probably something minor like a bad grade she doesn't want to tell me about. So what do you say? Will you join us?" Jack asked.

Jack and Kate and the six children spent the evening together. Jordan 's meltdown arrived in-between the pizza and the ice cream while the kids were playing some of the arcade games in the facility. She didn't win enough tickets to get the prize she wanted and Jack ended up carrying her outside kicking and screaming. Carly informed Kate that they would not be back, that he and Jordan would wait outside for them, but that her dad would want them to make sure all the kids had their ice cream before they left. The boys were freaked out by the meltdown and didn't want any ice cream. Kendall , completely unaffected by the scene, was willing to eat everyone's share of ice cream. Kate decided that they could stop for ice cream on the way to Jack's house and they could eat it there.

They lay side by side on the couch, him on the inside with his back to the couch and her in front of him, her back pressed into his chest and his arm wrapped comfortably around her. They were watching a movie and she wasn't all that interested in it. She rolled onto her other side so she could face him and kissed him, the feeling of being wrapped up in his strong arms so warm and safe she actually sighed. She knew he was ready to consummate the relationship. He was persistent, but patient, calmly backing off the moment she pushed his hands away or said no. She liked those hands though, liked the way they felt all over her body and the way they could nimbly unbutton her blouse and unhook her bra without her realizing until she felt his warm palm covering her breast.

They'd come close a couple of times to an actual consummation, but had pulled back before clothes began falling away from their bodies. One night a make-out session became very heated and their bodies were pressed together in a way that allowed him to slip his thigh in-between her legs and apply just the right pressure to bring her off in a very satisfying manner and it took more willpower than she thought she possessed to keep from ripping his clothes off and mounting the impressive erection she could feel through his jeans. He'd actually had to excuse himself that night and she was certain it was so he could take matters into his own hand, so to speak. She felt guilty about getting him so worked up and pulling away, but he continued to assure her that he didn't mind and that he could wait as long as she needed him to. She knew she was being ridiculous because she wanted him badly, but she was so afraid of all the feelings sex would unleash and more importantly afraid that he wouldn't feel the same.

As he kissed her passionately and began moving his hands over her body she could feel the ache and the need building inside of her and decided that if things went much further she wouldn't be able to push him away, not after the fight and her considering not seeing him any longer and the realization of how badly the idea of not having Jack around anymore hurt. She was falling so hard for this man and she knew if she allowed him to make love to her that would be it, she'd be in so deep nothing could pull her back and she needed to know how he felt. She felt his fingers dip inside the waistband of her pants and pulled out of the kiss and pushed his hands away.

"Sorry." He mumbled and kissed her neck.

"Don't be. I want this as much as you do." She said as he continued his assault on her neck.

"Then why do you keep pushing me away." He mumbled into her neck, moving his mouth down and nibbling lightly at the tender flesh just below her collar bone.

"Because I don't know how you feel about me. I mean, I'm not looking for a love declaration, but it'd be nice to know that I'd be more than just another notch on your bedpost." She said, making him raise his head and look at her.

"Do I treat you like a bedpost notch?" He asked in a serious tone.

"I don't know, I haven't slept with you yet." She said and smiled at him, forcing a smile onto his face.

"I don't have notches on my bedpost Kate. Casual sex has never been my thing. I like the feeling of intimacy that comes from two people who care about each other expressing that in the most personal way possible. I care about you a lot Kate and I promise to not make you feel like a notch." He said and kissed her.

"Then maybe next weekend we should get babysitters, find a nice hotel and get intimate." She suggested, making him smile.

"No hotels, not for the first time. It'd make it feel like we're doing something sordid or like we're hiding or sneaking or ashamed. Besides, I was kind of hoping we could get intimate now." He said and began nibbling on her ear.

"You seriously want to have sex with six children underfoot?" She asked and giggled against the nibbling.

"They aren't underfoot, they're in the back bedrooms sleeping and I don't want to have sex, I want to take you to my bed and make love to you, but if you don't want the security of a locked door we can do it right here and hope none of them wake up and catch us." He told her with a teasing grin, happy that he was finally going to get to physically show her how much he likes and cares about her.

"I think it would be wrong for us to expose the kids to that don't you?" She asked.

"Expose them to what? Two people who care about each other? They've found us sleeping together on the couch before, would it really be so awful if they found us sleeping together in the same bed?" He asked.

"Yes, because men and women have sex in beds and Carly and Kenny both know that. I'm not sure either one of them are ready to have the knowledge that their parents are sleeping together." Kate said.

"You're right, we should probably wait until we're married to have sex." He chuckled.

"Jack, I'm serious." Kate said and slapped at his chest.

"I know you are, that's why we're not going to do anything tonight. You're not ready." He said and gave her a soft peck on the lips.

"That's not true Jack, I am, I'm just not comfortable with doing it while the kids are sleeping down the hall." She said.

"And when you are comfortable with that, you'll be ready." He said, not the least bit put out with her.

"Jack, I do want you, you believe me don't you?" She asked.

"I do. Right now you want me physically, but emotionally you're still unsure. It's fine Kate, I'm more than willing to wait until your completely ready for this and when that time comes we won't be dissecting and analyzing the act to death, we'll move off to the bedroom in a state of desire and need that won't allow for any second guessing." He said and pulled her closer.

"You think?" She asked.

"Mmm….I know and it'll be frenzied and passionate and oh so worth the wait." He whispered in her ear, giving her goose bumps.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Okay, here they go! Also, the mystery behind what happened to Jack's wife is revealed. Thank you for reading for all the nice reviews!**_

She was suddenly different, hungry for him in a way she hadn't been so far, her somewhat timid and reluctant body language replaced with an eagerness and confidence that was turning him on and dangerously taking him closer and closer to the point of no return. He wasn't sure what he'd done to elicit the sudden change, but was pretty sure that the lustful creature squirming beside him was the sexiest thing he'd encountered in a long time, maybe ever.

She pulled out of the kiss and sat up, pulling him up with her and straddling his lap. She took hold of the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up over his head and off and then allowed the shirt she was wearing that he had already unbuttoned to fall off of her. The unhooked bra was hanging loosely on her shoulders and he gently slid the straps down her arms and watched in lust and amazement as her upper body became completely exposed to him. She was as beautiful as he'd imagined she would be, the closest visual he'd had prior to this would've been only what he was feeling with his hands and while that was great, it wasn't nearly as stimulating as having a half naked woman sitting in your lap looking at you with more desire than any man could possibly be worthy of.

He moved a gentle thumb over one of her nipples and smiled as it immediately hardened, her responsiveness to his touches, no matter how small making him confident that she really was ready for this. He placed his large, warm hands on her waist and pulled her closer, feeling her hands move around behind his neck and snake up through the back of his hair as they shared another wet, passionate kiss. She pulled out of the kiss and began kissing his jaw and his neck, her hot breath finding his ear and whispering seductively into it.

"Take me to bed Jack." She breathed.

"Are you sure?" He asked, the feeling of her naked breasts pressed up against his bare chest making him secretly pray that she was sure.

"The things that seemed so scary suddenly don't anymore. My heart wants you and you'll take good care of my heart won't you Jack?" She asked.

"I have every intention of taking good care of all you, especially your heart." He said softly and closed his mouth over hers again.

He continued to kiss her while he gathered their shirts. He pulled out of the kiss and looked into her eyes with a softness and sincerity that nearly made her melt. He stood taking her up with him and she wrapped her legs securely around his waist before she attacked his mouth hungrily as he made the short journey to his bedroom. He closed the bedroom door, locked it and carried her over to the bed, laying her down and following on top of her, not bothering to pull the bed coverings back or even position their bodies correctly on the bed as they eagerly kissed one another and began removing the rest of their clothes.

As he hovered over her nude form, slowly and meticulously kissing and licking over every inch of her neck and upper chest she could feel the excitement pooling in her center, loving everything he was doing to her, but also eager to have him inside of her. When his hot mouth covered one of her nipples she arched her back and moaned loudly, feeling his hardness against her belly. She reached between them and gripped his length, causing him suck harder for a moment. She stroked him gently a few times before moving her thumb over his slit, making him hiss and suck in his breath. He pulled her hand away and grabbed hold of her other wrist, gently pulling her arms above her head and holding them there as he looked down at her, his eyes so dark with desire it made her breath hitch.

Without taking his eyes off of her he released his grip on one of her wrists and moved his hand down her body to the small tuft of curly brown hair. She immediately opened her legs for him he quickly pushed a finger inside making her gasp out of surprise and pure pleasure. He watched her bite her bottom lip and squirm as he moved his finger in and out of her, so close, but not quite there. He pulled his finger out and she whimpered in protest. He let go of her other wrist and moved his mouth down her body, latching onto the inside of her upper thigh and marking her before placing his hot, wet mouth over her tiny swollen bulb and sucking gently. She grabbed two handfuls of the comforter, dug her toes in deep and came hard, panting and moaning and even squealing lightly, much to his enjoyment.

"Jesus Christ!" She panted and tugged at his hair, wanting him to pull away and make love to her.

He moved back up her body and kissed her deeply.

"You okay baby?" He whispered into her ear.

"I'm great. I want you Jack, all of you, now, please." She begged.

"I want you too, so much baby." He said and scooted back, moving off the bed and pulling her up and into his arms.

She could feel his need pressed in-between them and wanted badly to slide down to her knees and swallow as much of him as she could, but he was too quick for her. He had the bed coverings pulled back and her body pinned beneath him before she had a chance to act. He reached into the drawer of the nightstand beside the bed and pulled a small package out. He quickly slid the contents of the package on and positioned himself between her legs. He felt her guiding him to her entrance and without breaking eye contact slowly pushed inside of her, burying himself fully and sucking in a deep breath as he fought to maintain control.

She drew his face closer to hers and began kissing him as he began his thrusts and she was already close again. He felt so good inside her, he fit so well and every thrust hit all the right spots perfectly as he made love to her with more passion and caring than any man ever had, bringing her to another explosive orgasm and showing no signs of being finished. Once he allowed her ride it out he picked up his pace and their love making became hot, sweaty and frenzied, both holding tightly to the other as their bodies rocked together in a rhythm that was too perfect for a first time. He could feel her nails digging into his back and her teeth biting into his shoulder as she exploded all over him again, crying out so loudly he wondered briefly if all six children would be pounding on the door at any moment. Thankfully his bedroom was on the opposite end of the house from the other bedrooms so there would be no premature ending to this incredibly blissful moment.

She encouraged him to roll onto his back and since every muscle in his body was burning he was happy to let her take control and finish for them. She sat above him, her palms flat on his chest and ground down into him gently, driving him in deeper and making him moan. She was so tight and she felt so good wrapped around him. He'd known that making love to her was going to be intense, but this was beyond anything he ever could've imagined. If a commitment from him was what she had been fishing for earlier, she'd have no trouble getting that from him. He was ready to make things between them something more permanent on their second date and now that he'd had her like this, he was certain that his feelings for her were dangerously close to being of the love variety.

She insisted he lie still while she did all the work and he let her until he reached the point where he thought he'd go mad if he didn't find release. He flipped her onto her back and pounded into her mercilessly, both of them coming together with a bang so loud they closed their mouths over one another's to keep their screams from waking the neighbors. He dropped onto his elbows, breathing hard and trying hard to make his brain function again. He could feel her small, soft hands gently caressing his back and wished he could stay right there, but as the brain function slowly began to return he became aware that he needed to pull out of her before they had an accident.

He moved away from her and then excused himself, returning quickly and pulling her close so they could cuddle in the center of the bed.

"Is fabulous in bed and likes to cuddle afterward. Careful Jack, a girl could get used to this." She told him and kissed his chest softly.

"I hope so, because I could definitely get used to this." He said, going up onto one elbow and kissing her.

It was a slow, tender kiss that was full of so much emotion she felt her stomach doing flip flops. He pulled back and looked at her, his eyes warm and loving. It was probably just wishful thinking on her part that was seeing loving in his those beautiful eyes of his, but she'd take wishful thinking for now.

"We don't have to use a condom anymore if you don't want to." She said drawing a look of surprise and shock from him that made her laugh.

"No, no. I mean that after my little emergency I went back on the pill." She explained, still giggling at his reaction.

"Have you completed a full cycle of them?" He asked.

"Yep, I'm on my second packet and hey, only half of me works now so we're safe." She said.

"We have six kids Kate. Something tells me we could get pregnant regardless of how much of you is working." He huffed.

"Then aren't you glad I'm on the pill again? Who'd want to trust one of those thin condoms to hold your super swimmers back." She teased making him chuckle lightly and relax back onto the mattress with her in his arms again.

They lay together quietly for awhile and perhaps even dozed off for a bit. She opened her eyes and listened to his heartbeat. His breathing was relaxed and his arm was wrapped snugly around her.

"Are you asleep?" She asked.

"No. I've got a beautiful, naked woman in my arms and have just had the best sex of my life. I'm lying here trying to figure out how I got so lucky." He said.

"You know if you keep saying sweet things like that, I'm never going to leave this bed." She said and laughed lightly.

"Why do you think I say them?" He teased.

"I'm lying here completely naked and vulnerable and you're telling me you only say nice things to get me into your bed?" She asked in a serious tone.

He propped himself up again and looked down at her, shaken over having allegedly upset her.

"No Kate, of course not, I was teasing. You're the best thing that's come into my life in a long time, maybe ever." He apologized and then saw the grin spread across her face.

"Gotcha!" She laughed and then squealed as he rolled back onto his back, pulling her on top of him and swatting her bottom lightly.

"Now who's got who?" He asked and swatted her once more for good measure.

"Hey, that one stung." She pouted.

"Sorry, let me rub it and make it better." He said and gently rubbed his hand over her backside as she relaxed onto his chest, her head resting on his shoulder, the position they were in just begging for more intercourse, but both of them too tired or too satisfied or a combination of both to initiate.

"Did you really mean that Jack?" She asked, moving off of him and snuggling in beside him again.

"Mean what?" He asked.

"That I'm the best thing to come into your life in a long time?" She asked.

"Yeah, I did." He said.

"But how can you say maybe ever? I mean, I'm flattered and I feel the same way about you, I really do, but what about the mother of your children Jack?" She asked.

"What about the father of your children Kate?" He asked.

"I love my boys Jack and they are most definitely the most precious gifts I've ever received, but their father is definitely not the best thing that ever came into my life, closer to the worst." She admitted.

"So how do you know I don't feel the same way about the girl's mother?" He asked.

"I don't know, I guess because she's dead, I just assumed…" She started and then tapered off.

"You assumed that because she's dead it was some big tragic event that left me mourning and heartbroken over the loss of the love of my life?" He asked, his tone even and calm.

"Yeah, something like that." She said.

"Well you're right in a way. It was a tragic event that left me mourning over the loss of my daughters' innocence and heartbroken over their pain and suffering." He said quietly, the topic obviously painful for him.

"I know you don't want to talk about it Jack, but I think we need to. I think we need to know what kind of baggage each one of us is bringing into this relationship. Plus I care a lot about you and your daughters and I want to be able to understand where those sad faraway looks Jordan and Carly get are coming from." Kate said.

"What would like to know? Should I start at beginning and tell the whole story or would you prefer the abridged version that just highlights the really important parts?" Jack asked sounding slightly agitated.

"Never mind, you obviously aren't ready to trust me with your secrets." She sighed.

"They aren't secrets Kate and it's got nothing to do with trust. It's just a really ugly thing that I don't like to talk about, especially now. We just made love and it would've been great if we could've just enjoyed the moment." He grumbled and moved out of the bed and into the bathroom.

He resurfaced wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt with a folded t-shirt and sweat pants in his hand. He dropped the clothes on the bed beside her.

"I thought you might like something comfortable to sleep in." He said and began walking toward the door.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I'm thirsty. Want anything?" He asked.

"No, I'm fine. Jack, I'm sorry I ruined things." She said.

He walked back over to the bed, leaned in and kissed her.

"You didn't ruin anything." He said and turned and left the room.

Kate wasn't sure when he came back to the bedroom or even if he had come back. She fell asleep waiting for him and when she woke up he was already up and gone. She stumbled out of bed and out of the bedroom, following the smells and the noise to the kitchen where she found Jack making pancakes for the kids.

"Good morning." He said and gave her a quick kiss.

"You should've woken me, I would've helped." She said and walked toward the coffee pot.

"Jack makes really good pancakes mommy." Simon told her as he shoved a fork full into his mouth.

Kate looked around the table. Tucker and Kendall were almost done with their plates of food and Simon and Jordan had just started on theirs. Carly and Kenny were patiently waiting for the next stack to be ready.

"I just want one dad. I'm trying to watch my figure." Carly said making him grin.

"Don't you think you should actually get a figure first?" Jack teased.

"Whatever. I weigh 75 pounds and don't want to get to 80." Carly told him, not amused by his teasing.

"Carly you're a beautiful kid and you're weight is perfect for your height, but if you'd prefer a bagel and some yogurt instead of a stack of warm, fluffy, buttery pancakes dripping with warm maple syrup that's fine." He taunted, watching the little girl lick her lips without even realizing it.

"I'll eat Carly's pancakes daddy!" Kendall offered excitedly.

"Something tells me I'll never have to worry about self-image issues with that one." Jack chuckled.

"Are you going to eat pancakes Kate?" Carly asked.

"Mmm….you bet. Every girl is allowed to indulge once in awhile, especially on Sunday mornings when a handsome man is cooking breakfast." Kate said and kissed him fully.

"Gross! Stop it! You're going to get slobber all over my pancakes." Kenny protested.

"It's not gross Kenny, well it kind of is because they're parents, but kissing in general isn't gross." Carly told him.

"Oh really?" Jack asked and looked directly at his oldest daughter.

"If Kate's going to pig out so am I, I'll take a whole stack dad." Carly said, smiling at her father and purposely ignoring his inquisitive expression.

They sat together on the glider on the back porch watching Kendall and Tucker playing on the gym equipment in the yard. The other four children were inside playing a video game. He put his arm around her and she cuddled up next to him and took hold of his free hand.

"She killed herself." He said softly.

"What?" Kate asked.

"Jennifer, the girl's mother, she killed herself." He said.

"Oh Jack, I'm so sorry. Please tell me the girls weren't the ones who found her." Kate said and squeezed his hand a little tighter.

"I wish I could Kate. We uh…..we'd rent this beach house in Oceanside every summer and we'd spend about three weeks there. It was nice, quiet and a little secluded and the girls loved being able to walk out the back door and build sand castles. Hanging out with my girls and building sand castles and walking them down the shore to the little carnival they had every year, it was a great way for me to relax and unwind." He said.

"Sounds nice." Kate said.

"It was, but of course a busy surgeon really isn't allowed to have three uninterrupted weeks in paradise with his family so there were days when I'd have to commute back to Los Angeles and sometimes it'd be overnight. Jennifer and I fought quite a bit about my job. She loved everything that my job could provide, but she hated not having a 9 to 5, every weekend off type of husband. We separated when Jordan was two for about two months, but she said she wanted me back and we both agreed to work a little harder. I tried to be home more and she was supposed to try to be more understanding." He said.

"Well, it must've worked, you had another baby." Kate offered.

"Yeah, but by the time Kendall was born she was fed up again and threatening to divorce me. I told her I'd give her a divorce if that's what she really wanted. That she and the kids could stay in the house and that I'd support them, but she said she didn't want her kids to grow up in a broken home. I guess threatening me with a divorce was supposed to magically turn me into a husband with a 40-hour a week job and when the threat didn't work she decided to stick it out. You know Kate, by the time Kendall was born, I'm not sure I even loved her anymore. I mean I loved her, but it was more like the love you feel for a really good friend than what you feel for your lover and life-long companion. The constant nagging and battling and never being able to be what she needed me to be just sucked all the romantic love out of our relationship, but she didn't want a divorce and hell, I guess it was all comfortable enough for me so I kept plugging along. Pathetic huh?" Jack said.

"No, not pathetic. I think all relationships have highs and lows Jack. I don't think any two people feel giddy in love every single day of their lives. It sounds like your marriage was at a low point, but who's to say it wouldn't have found a high again." Kate said, seeing where this was going, beginning to understand the tremendous guilt he was carrying around and understanding why he was so adamant that she be able to deal with his busy work schedule or move on.

"We had gone to the beach rental for what was supposed to be two uninterrupted weeks of family time and it was going well, we even had a nice little romantic dinner followed by some actual bedroom romance about five days into the vacation. But on day six the hospital called and I had to leave for a couple of days. I promised the girls I'd be back at precisely 2 PM on Friday so that as soon as they woke up from their naps we could walk down to the carnival. I talked to Jennifer that morning and she asked me if I was sure I was going to be there, that I wouldn't disappoint the girls and I promised I would be there. I was late Kate. I was the one that was supposed to find her, but because I was late my two little girls stumbled into that bloody mess." He said sadly, his voice cracking as he fought his emotions.

They sat quietly rocking back and forth for a few moments while he collected himself. He finally hugged her tightly and kissed her, watched the two young children playing happily for a minute or two and continued on.

"I was about 15 minutes from the beach house when the call that will haunt me for the rest of my life came. I picked up my cell phone and Carly was screaming and crying _'Daddy! I can't wake her up! She's all bloody! Where are you daddy? Make her wake up!'_ I hear those cries every time I close my eyes and the feeling of helplessness as you're listening to your traumatized child beg for you and you can't get there fast enough is something I never want to experience again. I couldn't call for help because I would've had to hang up on Carly and she was too hysterical to call for help so I drove like a maniac and did everything I could to soothe her. I got there in 8 minutes, but it was too late. She'd been dead for at least two hours when the girls found her." He said.

"Jack, you don't have to….." Kate started, but he stopped her.

"No, it's okay. It's not something I wanted to discuss in the intimate setting we were in last night, but not because it's a secret Kate, or because I don't trust you, but because what we shared last night was incredible and beautiful and I need that bed to always be a place where you and I can just be us. We have to have a place that's a safe zone of sorts, a place where we aren't allowed to fight with each other and where we don't dredge up the ugliness from the past." He explained.

She couldn't say anything. How could she when he'd pretty much said it all. Last night had been as important to him as it was to her, but more importantly, what they were building together was as important to him as it was to her. She kissed his neck and cuddled in closer to him.

"Go on, finish your story." She said.

"When I got to the beach house, I found the girls in our bedroom. Both of them had blood all over them. Carly was hysterical and Jordan was sitting in the corner, rocking back and forth and staring straight ahead at nothing. I could hear Kendall crying from her crib, but she was safe enough there so I called for help and began trying to console my children. Jennifer cut her wrists, but she made no attempts to minimize the mess. No, she wanted to punish me. She wanted me to find her laid out on our blood-soaked bed. I know that she never meant to hurt the girls and that she never meant for them to walk in on that mess, but I just can't forgive her for what she did to them. Jordan didn't talk for almost 6 months and Carly, she had to be sedated for days. For a long time she would wake up screaming and clawing at her hands and arms trying to get the blood off of them. They get that sad faraway look sometimes Kate because they know that their mother just left them and they don't understand why. I should try to reassure them, tell them that mommy was sick and didn't really want to leave them or some such bullshit and maybe I could've if they hadn't found her and saw the violence she chose over living and being their mother, but all I can manage is to tell them that they didn't do anything wrong. That it wasn't their fault their mommy killed herself." Jack spat angrily.

"Jack." She said in a disparaging tone.

"I suppose a more responsible father would tell his children whatever lies they need to hear to feel better, but I just can't do it. She wasn't sick Kate. She wasn't depressed. She didn't even leave a note because she didn't need to, the message was loud and clear. _'Fuck you Jack'_ She was angry and trying to get back at me." He said.

"But Jack, doesn't a person have to be at least a little off to even consider the suicide route?" Kate asked.

"Yes, they do, but she never meant to kill herself Kate. She had no intention of dying. It was a game. She was trying to send me a message. I was late getting home. I promised I would be there. I was supposed to get there in time to save her. How stupid was that? She'd been married to me for ten years and knew that I was late more often than I was on time, yet she cut her wrists knowing that if I was late she'd die." Jack said.

"And that doesn't qualify as being a little off?" Kate asked.

"So you think I'm wrong for not candy-coating the situation for my kids?" He asked.

"I don't know Jack. I lie to my sons about their father to protect them from being hurt, but who's to say it's the right thing to do? How angry will they be when they learn the truth? At least your daughters know the truth and I'm sure you don't tell them their mother didn't love them." Kate said.

"What makes you so sure?" He asked.

"Because there are random photos of her with the girls around the house. If they believed their mother didn't love them, they'd have issues with those photos being displayed." Kate said.

"I've never suggested that their mother didn't love them and I never will because that would be a lie. About six months after it happened Carly was having trouble remembering what she looked like so we found some snapshots of their mom with them and put them in little frames around the house. Kendall looks just like her huh?" Jack asked.

"Yes she does, but she acts just like you which is probably why I find her so adorable." Kate said and straddled him.

He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her closer, kissing her passionately. When they broke the kiss she lay her head on his shoulder.

"I'm getting pretty attached to you Jack Shephard." She said.

"Me too and going to bed alone tonight is going to suck. I could get used to having you curled up next to me real quick." He admitted.

"We'll just have to look forward to the weekends when we can be together without upsetting the kid's sleep schedules." She offered.

"This weekend has been great hasn't it? The football game, the pizza place, Jordan having the mother of all meltdowns, and the pancake breakfast were all such, nice, normal, fun moments." He said.

"And they way you fed the kids youngest to oldest because the younger ones have less patience than the older ones made me wonder if you've been watching me on Sunday mornings. Do you think it's weird that there are so many similarities between us, our kids and the way we do things?" She asked.

"Maybe it's because we're meant to do these things together some day. If last night is any indication of how good we can be together I'm looking forward to the journey." He said in a breathy tone and kissed her again.

"You're being all sweet and wonderful again. How's a girl supposed to resist?" She asked.

"She's not." He answered.

"Last night was incredible Jack. I don't think I've ever been with a man who could make me feel like the center of his universe and the sex was pretty amazing as well." She told him, making him smile and rub his hands up and down her back.

"Would you hate that?" He asked.

"Hate what?" She asked.

"Being the center of my universe?" He asked.

"What woman in her right mind would hate that, but of course it goes both ways, you'd have to be willing to be the center of mine as well. Of course that'd be after both of us made room beside our children." She told him.

"Of course, but I think there's plenty of room. You know you and the boys are welcome to spend the night here again tonight." He said.

"I know, but they have school tomorrow and they should probably be in their own beds, but thank you and thank you for telling me your story Jack. It's pretty awful, but you must be one hell of a father because those girls are thriving. Maybe I should take a lesson from you and be a bit more honest with my kids, at least with Kenny." Kate said.

"You mean tell him what happened after the policemen came and took his dad away in the police car?" Jack asked, feeling her tense up.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Thank you for the reviews!**_

She sat up straight and looked at him, a hint of anger in her eyes.

"How did you know about that?" She asked.

"I heard Kenny tell Carly about it. He told her the policemen came and took him away in their police car to ask him some questions and that he never came back." Jack answered.

"How long have you known this Jack?" She asked.

"Since the beginning when you were sick." He said.

"Why would you know something like that for so long and not bring it up? What else do you know about me Jack?" She asked angrily.

"Kate, why are getting so mad?" He asked.

"Because you knew all this time and you never said a word. It's deceitful." She accused and tried to move off of his lap, but he held onto her.

"It wasn't deceitful Kate, it was respectful. That was your business, not mine and I figured when you were ready to talk about it you would." He explained.

"So you've spent all this time thinking I'm some kind of criminal?" She asked.

"What? No, of course not. Kate, this reaction you're having right now is exactly why I never brought it up. This is obviously something that makes you very uncomfortable and apparently ashamed and the last thing I wanted to do was add to the feelings of inadequacy you were already displaying. Why would your ex-husband being in jail reflect badly on you?" He asked.

"Because I was stupid, too stupid to see him for what he really was, or maybe I just didn't want to see." Kate said.

"What did he do?" Jack asked.

"He murdered a 16 year old girl and there were so many others, so many he could've hurt, including me." Kate said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

He wiped the tear off her cheek and kissed her gently before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back into him until she was resting on his chest again, head on his shoulder.

"Kate, you don't have to talk about this if you don't want to, but it sounds like you need to." He said.

"I grew up in Wisconsin and all I ever wanted was to go to college and escape from the small town I lived in. When I was a senior in high school, the universities in the area were offering a few classes that high school seniors without a full day could take to earn college credits so me and some of my girlfriends signed up for a Psychology class three days a week. The university was only about 25 miles from the town and it made us feel a bit more grown up I suppose. I had been taking the class for about two weeks when the professor asked me to stay behind the first time. It was obvious that he was flirting with me, but I didn't care. He was older and cute and so charming and I was flattered." Kate said.

"How much older?" Jack asked.

"He was 30 and I was 17 and I'd never been with a guy before, at least not sexually, but he made me feel safe and secure and special and by mid-semester we were sleeping together. I know it was stupid, but I was in love with him." She explained as her warm tears dripped slowly onto his t-shirt.

"It wasn't stupid. You can't help who you fall in love with Kate." He said.

"When the semester ended he proposed to me. I hadn't even graduated high school yet and was engaged to a college professor, a man who liked to tell me what to do, what to wear, and how to act. A man who also liked to keep our relationship quiet and he never, not once introduced me to his colleagues or friends, and even though I was allowed…..yes allowed, to go to college, I wasn't allowed to attend where he taught. How could I have been so stupid not to see that wasn't normal? We got married that summer, quietly and privately in front of the judge. He said we shouldn't have a wedding because he was teaching summer school and didn't want to wait. Kenny was born the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college and David, that's my ex-husband's name, seemed genuinely happy to be a father. I finished school three years later. David wouldn't let me work outside the home and I had very little to keep me busy except raising Kenny and studying so it was easy. As soon as I got my degree David started hounding me for another baby and we had Simon and that delayed my getting any permanent teaching positions. David spent a lot of evenings in his office on the campus or that's what he said anyway. By the time Tucker came along I barely saw him anymore. I'm not even sure how we managed to get pregnant because we rarely had sex. It was like he couldn't stand to touch me anymore, like I was repulsive to him or something." She explained.

"Well there's proof that the guy is obviously an idiot." Jack said sweetly and kissed her temple, making her smile briefly.

"While we were married he made sure he reminded me constantly of where I came from, that I was little more than white trailer trash that wouldn't have anything had he not scooped me up out of the gutter and I guess after you hear something long enough you start to believe it. I was supposed to be grateful to him and I was. I had a college education and two beautiful sons, but he made me feel dirty Jack. I can't explain it, but by the time he was climbing on top of me and impregnating me for the third time I felt so used and so unloved that I couldn't wait to take a shower afterward. I was happy when he'd go days without coming home. In the beginning I thought I was so in love with this guy, but when I think back on it now, about the things he used to say to me and how he really only ever treated me like a piece of property I wonder how I could've been so damn stupid." She spat angrily.

"Baby you weren't stupid, you were just a kid and it sounds to me like you began to figure him out when you finally became mature enough to deal with such a complex, adult situation." Jack attempted to comfort her.

"I wish I would've figured him out Jack. Maybe if I had that young girl would still be alive. I always suspected he was having affairs, but it never occurred to me that he was taking advantage of naïve high school girls in pretty much the same way he took advantage of me. Why didn't I consider that he was doing that Jack? Why on earth did I believe I was the only one he'd done that to?" She asked, sitting up and looking into his eyes.

"Because he married you and because at the time you didn't see it as him taking advantage of you." Jack said.

"Do you know why he married me? He married me because my mom found out he'd been sleeping with me and threatened to expose him if he didn't make an honest woman of me. She told me that on her death bed a few weeks before Tucker was born. She said she thought she was doing the right thing at the time and begged me to forgive her. How was I supposed to be mad at her? It's not like anyone held gun to my head and forced me to marry him. No, I did that all on my own. I had decided that day that I was going to divorce him as soon as the baby was born. I had a hard time with Tucker. He was big, too big and literally ripped me in half being delivered. I lost so much blood and had so many stitches inside and out that I had to stay in the hospital on ice packs and morphine." She said, watching him wince at the description.

"Why didn't they do a c-section?" He asked.

"Because my OB was an idiot I guess. I was in the hospital for two weeks and barely moving around by the time they released me. David had been so sweet through all of it and the bastard wooed me one last time and made me forget about wanting to divorce him. When Tucker was about 7 weeks old the police came to the door. David stepped outside and they handcuffed him and took him away. It was like a whirlwind of insanity after that. They charged him with the murder of this young girl and he was denied bail. He asked me to bring the boys to see him, but I wouldn't because I knew in my heart that he was guilty and sure enough, the DNA results came back on the fetus the young girl was carrying and David was the father. He killed her because she was going to tell and destroy his fake little existence. He didn't love me Jack, but he loved that everyone knew he had this perfect little family even though he never introduced us to anyone. I guess the pictures he kept of us in his office kept up the illusion that he was this devoted husband and father instead of a pervert that liked teenage girls and when that little girl threatened to destroy it all he took her to the lake, stabbed her repeatedly, wrapped her in plastic and dumped her in the water." She told him, her body shaking lightly against his.

She fell silent for a moment and he wasn't sure if she was done with her story yet so he just held her and slowly rocked the glider back and forth.

"I think I'm going to be sick." She said and moved off his lap quickly and disappeared inside the house.

Jack sat on the glider watching Tucker and Kendall playing together like they'd been buddies all their lives, their purity and innocence helping to settle his own stomach, the reveals about Jennifer and David coming close to being more than his stomach could take too. He heard the door open and turned his head. She walked slowly toward him and sat beside him on the glider. He put his arm around her and she relaxed into him.

"You okay?" He asked.

"No, but I will be, because once this out in the open we don't need to talk about it anymore, well not in detailed depth anyway. Right?" She said.

"We don't have to talk about it anymore today if you don't want to." He said.

"No, I want to finish. During David's trial all these women testified about how he'd seduced them while they were in high school. My god Jack there were so many of them, some older than me, some younger and a few who were just barely out of high school. Apparently, I had become repulsive to him sexually because I'd become too old for him. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and I packed my children up and moved out here. Jack, how do I ever tell my sons the truth about their father when the truth is so disgusting?" Kate asked.

"I don't know Kate, but I agree that they are too young to know any of that so you've definitely done the right thing by lying to them as far as I'm concerned. What did you tell them?" Jack asked.

"Simon really doesn't remember him and Tucker certainly doesn't so they really don't ask about him, but Kenny remembers him and even though it hurt him I told him that his dad moved away and that we can never see him again. I wanted to tell him that he died, but I couldn't go with that big of a lie. David was anything but father of the year, but he was Kenny's dad and he didn't understand why all of the sudden he was gone. Maybe I should've told him he died, maybe that would've made things easier on him the last few years. When he finds out the truth he's going to be so angry that I cut off all communication between them. He's going to hate me Jack." She said sadly.

"He might be angry Kate, but he's never going to hate you. He loves you too much and hopefully by the time he's old enough to learn the truth he'll also be mature enough to understand why you lied to him." Jack offered.

"What about you?" She asked.

"What about me?" He asked.

"Does knowing that I shared my bed with a perverted murderer make you wish you'd never gotten to know trashy me and his evil spawns?" She asked, feeling him stiffen for a moment and then relax again.

"Kate, I get that you've been through a difficult time and that you spent a lot of years with a man who did a real number on your self-esteem so I'm going to give you that one, but it's the last one. No more disparaging comments about yourself around me because I don't like it. I think you're incredible. You're beautiful, sexy, strong, independent and exactly someone I'd be proud to have my daughters emulate." He said.

She felt the tears spilling over and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and kissing the side of his neck.

"Remind me to send Stacy Barrett a very large basket of goodies for sending you to my classroom on the first day of school." She spoke softly into his ear and kissed him.

"Ah Stacy, I should've known she was the nosey woman trying to hook us up." He chuckled.

"How is it we've both been friends of hers for so long and we never met?" Kate asked.

"Probably because we've both got three kids and a full-time job. Are you sure I can't convince you stay for at least dinner?" He asked.

"I'd love to Jack, but I need to take Simon and Tucker to buy new shoes and I need to cut Kenny's hair so we should be going." She said.

"Can I come over later, after I get the girls tucked in, or is that too late?" He asked.

"It's not too late, but I better make sure I get my boys in bed and asleep or they're going to want to stay up and play with you." Kate said.

Kate was putting away the last of the dinner dishes and ready to tuck her boys in and soak in a hot bubble bath. She grabbed the three backpacks sitting beside the dining room table and began to go through them to make sure she hadn't missed an important note or homework assignment. She was just about to close up the last backpack when Kenny approached her from behind.

"Mom, can I call Jack?" Kenny asked.

"What for honey?" Kate asked.

"I just need to ask him something." Kenny said.

"You can't ask me?" Kate asked.

"It's guy stuff mom. Please." Kenny pleaded with her.

"Okay, but make it quick. I want you and your brothers in bed in five." She said and watched him disappear into her bedroom to make his secret phone call.

She considered eaves dropping, but decided that if it was anything crucial Jack would tell her.

She moved into the boys bedroom to begin tucking them in, Simon in the top bunk, Tucker in the bottom bunk and Kenny in the trundle bed against the other wall. Kenny was still in her bedroom making his phone call so she began with the two younger boys.

"Mommy, can we stay at Jack's house again next weekend?" Simon asked.

"I don't know sweetie, we'll have to see. He's a busy man and he might be too busy at the hospital to have company." Kate said and kissed him on the cheek.

"I go Jack's house too!" Tucker demanded.

"He's nice mommy and so is Carly." Simon told her.

"What about Jordan and Kendall?" Kate asked.

"Jordan is okay, but she gets upset easy and Kendall is too bossy." Simon explained making Kate chuckle.

"Mommy! I go Jack's house too!" Tucker shouted, not liking that Simon was getting all of her attention.

Kate leaned down onto the bottom bunk, pulled the blankets over her youngest son and kissed him on the forehead.

"Yes, yes Tucker, I promise we won't go to Jack's house without you. Now, time for sleep, both of you." Kate said and moved over to Kenny's bed, which was now occupied by the seemingly satisfied boy.

"Everything okay?" Kate asked.

"Jack's kind of awesome mom. I'm glad he's our friend and that you're not mad at him anymore." Kenny said.

"I'm glad he's our friend too." Kate said and smothered him with kisses until he begged for mercy.

He knocked lightly on the storm door, loud enough for her to hear, but not loud enough to disturb sleeping children. She invited him into the house and closed the door, the bathrobe she was wearing making him wonder if she had on anything underneath it. They sat on the couch together and she snuggled up next to him.

It wasn't long before whatever was on the television was being completely ignored and they were all over one another, the robe that was, as he suspected, covering nothing but warm, soft, freshly bathed flesh now open and his hands all over her. He laid her back onto the cushions, covered their bodies with the blanket that had been folded up on the end of the couch and closed his mouth over one of her nipples. She arched her back and grabbed the back of his head with one hand, holding him to her bosom.

"Jack, I want you inside me." She panted.

He reached between them and unfastened and unzipped his jeans while his mouth attacked her other breast. She impatiently pushed at his pants as he was not getting himself out of them and into her quick enough, whatever reserve she'd been showing prior to them sleeping together completely abandoned and replaced with a hot, sexy little tigress he was hoping he'd never find a way to tame. She was breathing hard and reaching for him, wrapping her fingers around the top of his now throbbing member and tugging, urging him to move up her body and penetrate her before she went crazy.

He moved his mouth over her breasts once more and then kissed his way back up to her lips as he moved up and positioned himself between her legs, testing the waters briefly to see if he should just dive in or ease his way in slowly and choosing the former over the latter. He filled her quickly and fully and she gasped, nearly toppling over the edge with the initial contact. She grabbed his shoulders roughly, pulling him down and devouring his face with a hot, hungry kiss as she lifted her hips and ground against him, so turned on he was beginning to wonder if he was going to make it out alive. He lowered more of his weight onto her, and whispered in her ear.

"Shh...baby, shh…just relax and let me take you there." He spoke softly and seductively as he slowly thrust in and out of her, feeling her walls clamp around him almost immediately and covering her mouth with his while she squealed, panted and he wasn't sure, but perhaps even spoke in a foreign tongue.

He was certain she was leaving marks all over his back with her fingernails, but he didn't care, if anything it was making him harder. She slowly began to come back down to earth and continued to hold his position, watching her face and gently kissing one eyelid and then the other, smiling at her when she opened her eyes to look at him.

"Don't stop, not yet." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer, almost all of his weight pressing into her.

He carefully rolled them onto their sides and adjusted her leg over his hip until he was in as deep as he could go, their chests and stomachs pressed together. He held onto her leg to keep it in place and continued to drive in and out of her, his cock so hard and his need to come so desperate that he had a brief vision of what it must be like to be a jackhammer as he lifted her hips until he found the angle he needed to thrust at a frantic pace.

"Oh my god Jack, yes, right there, right there." She panted and held on to him with everything she had.

"Come for me again." He said in a gruff, tired voice as he slowed his pace and thrust up into her hard and held it for moment before pulling back out.

He continued with slow, deliberate thrusts for another few minutes until he felt her walls clamping down around her again and then sped up, meeting her at the top of the mountain and tumbling over the side of it with her, filling her with his hot seed. The moment was so intense and personal and she felt another orgasm building as he slowly moved against her while he softened inside of her. She wrapped her entire body around him as tight as she could and let the warmth rush over her and out of her, the feeling of her coming again and her perfect, warm, tight hole flooding with more slippery moisture making him moan loudly.

She finally loosened her grip on him and relaxed, their faces just a few inches apart as they gazed at one another through sated eyes. He slipped out of her, brushed the hair back behind her ear and kissed her gently.

"We've unleashed a beast Jack." She said softly and kissed him passionately.

"Something like that." He mumbled as he fought the overpowering need to sleep, and sleep now.

"How am I supposed to go a whole week without this?" She asked making him chuckle.

"You know if I said something like that I'd be in trouble." He said.

"Not with me you wouldn't be. Women who aren't flattered because the man in their life wants them have issues as far as I'm concerned." She said.

"Then I guess you should be prepared to be flattered a lot, because I can't imagine a day will go by when I don't want you." He said and kissed the tip of her nose.

"Do you have a busy week this week?" She asked.

"Not too bad. I'm supposed to be on call next weekend, but I'm trying to switch with someone else because it's Halloween and I don't want trick-or-treat to be interrupted by my pager. Do you think you might want to take the kids trick-or-treating together?" He asked.

"I'm sure the boys would love that. They pretty much think you're the coolest thing since the invention of the Power Rangers." Kate said.

"It'll be fun. Six kids hyped on sugar. Is there anything better?" He teased.

"Hmmm…..maybe we should rethink this." She said.

"No way, good or bad, it'll be a night to remember. Speaking of Halloween, one of my colleagues is having a Halloween party at his house on Friday night. I'd like you to come with me. Candice said she'd watch all the kids for us." He said.

"Do I have to dress up?" She asked.

"Yeah, but we can come up with something simple that doesn't require a lot of mess." He said.

"Is Candice sure she wants to be saddled with six kids?" She asked.

"She volunteered." Jack said and she laughed lightly.

"What's funny?" He asked.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about how you referred to our clan as a modern day Brady Bunch and I guess Candice is the modern day Alice ." Kate giggled, making him let go of a breathy laugh.

"Just so you know, you're way hotter than Carol Brady ever thought about being." He said, his hands on her lower back and pulling her closer so he could kiss her again.

"Mmm…thanks. You're obviously way hotter and cooler than Mike Brady and my guess is that you're going to get lucky way more than he ever did." Kate breathed into his mouth before swallowing him up in another passionate kiss and rolling him onto his back, her naked body stretched over his and eager to have him at least once more before he left for the night.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Thank you for all the kind reviews! Here's some more sweetness and fluff!**_

She lay below him, his body covered with sweat and his breathing labored as he finished emptying himself inside of her. They'd managed to go two days and nights without seeing one another, but by Wednesday afternoon they were texting one another working on making a late date and he'd barely gotten through the door before he was on her. There were no greetings, no small talk and no courteous fumbling around on the couch. Once he had her lips locked with his he picked her up and carried her to her bedroom, quietly closing the door and locking it before laying her on the bed and stripping away the t-shirt and pajama pants she was wearing before quickly removing his own clothes.

No foreplay was necessary. Both were ready and eager and five minutes after he'd knocked on her front door they were fully connected and rocking together in perfect rhythm, both touching and holding one another and working to keep their mouths on one another to muffle the moans that would escape. They were good at this, as though they'd been lovers for years and the fact that it was THAT good between them already didn't escape either one of them. She was on his mind constantly and he on hers and they craved one another in ways that left both looking for a way to soothe those cravings at inappropriate times. That's what their texts were about earlier that day and they both agreed that it would prove embarrassing if their cell phones fell into the wrong hands.

He moved off of her and took his place beside her in the full size bed. She moved in beside him and kissed his chest before laying her head over his heart and relaxing.

"It's hard to believe that less than a week ago I was considering breaking up with you for good." She sighed.

"I'm glad you didn't." He said as he rubbed lazy circles over her naked back.

"How could I? The idea of never seeing you again made it hard to breathe." She admitted.

"Yeah, I know the feeling, but I was willing to let you go. I don't ever want to hurt you Kate." He said.

"You won't. Well, you might, but you won't hurt me with your work schedule. You might disappoint me sometimes, but thanks to a well deserved lecture from your 12 year old, I understand that when that stuff happens you're disappointed too. You shouldn't have to feel disappointed and sad and defensive all at the same time. It's not fair." She said.

"I appreciate that Kate, but it's okay if you get mad at me for missing stuff, as long as you promise not to stay mad for too long because I don't think I could stand it. Carly lectured you?" He asked.

"Yes, she's very protective of you and she loves you so much. I didn't pay much attention while it was happening because I was too wrapped up in my own confusion, but she was actually giving me the cold shoulder that week you and I weren't speaking. It's precious." She sighed and moved up to kiss him on the mouth.

"I kind of let Carly pick out the costumes for us to wear on Friday night." He told her.

"Oh good, that's one less thing I have to deal with tomorrow. What did she pick?" Kate asked.

"A plug and socket. I'm the plug and you're the socket. It's actually a bit naughty I think. My plug prongs are exactly where you'd expect them to be to insert into your appropriately placed socket. Do you suppose she considered that when she picked it out?" Jack asked.

"Did you take your 12 year old to an adult toy store Jack?" Kate asked.

"No, I took all three of them to Target to get costumes and Carly found the plug and socket and insisted we wear them. They're pretty simple. We just need to wear black pants and a black shirt and slip the costume over that. No junk in the hair or on the face." He explained.

"If she found them at Target, I doubt she considered the sexual innuendo, but I'm not surprised that's where your mind went immediately. Mmm…no wonder I got so lucky tonight." Kate said and nibbled lightly on his neck.

"Since we have a babysitter for the entire night, I want to take you out to dinner before the party. We don't get a chance to enjoy a quiet meal together very often. We can go back to the house after dinner and change into our costumes." Jack said.

"You don't seem like the costume type Jack." Kate said.

"I'm really not, but as long as I don't have to put make-up on or crap in my hair, I'll play along. The girls dressed me up as "Where's Waldo" last year. Jeans, red and white striped long-sleeved shirt, red and white stocking cap and one pair of black framed Harry Potter glasses." He told her, making her laugh.

"God Jack that's adorable. Please tell me there is photographic evidence of that some place." Kate said.

"There might be, but I think you'll have to earn this one." He teased.

"How do I have to earn it?" She asked.

He sat up, rolled her onto her back and kissed her deeply.

"Spend the weekend with me, you and the boys, Friday, Saturday and Sunday." He said softly, his eyes gazing into hers and melting her.

She placed her hand on the side of his face and kissed him gently.

"Jack, I'd love to, but I can't. I have too much to do. Kenny has a game Saturday, I need to shop for groceries, do the laundry, clean the house and finish making the boys Halloween costumes. There's no way I can just play all weekend, but if I could, I'd definitely want to spend it playing with you." She explained.

"Of course, you're right. It was stupid of me not to consider all the responsibilities you have. I'm sorry." He said.

"Don't be sorry. Besides, don't you have those same responsibilities?" She asked.

"I do, but I don't sew Halloween costumes by hand and I make the girls help out around the house." He said.

"I would've guessed you had a cleaning lady." Kate said.

"I do pay one of those cleaning services to come in twice a month and clean the floors and dust, but the girls and I pretty much handle the rest. Am I a mean father for making them scrub toilets?" He chuckled.

"No, I guess I'm just surprised. I pretty much overcompensate for the loss of their father by treating my sons like Lords of the Manor. I guess I just assumed you did the same thing. Finally something we do that's a bit different." She said.

"I probably would've done the same thing Kate, but the first thing I did after Jennifer...after their mother died was find a therapist for Carly and Jordan . She strongly suggested I not overcompensate by spoiling them rotten and told me they needed chores to do. Of course Kendall just looks at me as if I've lost my mind when I suggest she make her bed." He laughed lightly.

"How long were they in therapy?" She asked.

"About a year. It seemed to help and god knows I had no idea how to help them." Jack said.

"Sure you did, you helped them by getting them someone to talk to. So what time are you picking me up Friday?" She asked.

"I'll make reservations for seven so I'll pick you and the boys up around six. I guess I should get dressed and get out of here so you can get some sleep." He said and kissed her.

"I wish you could stay." She said softly and curled in next to him, smiling as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled until their two bodies fit snugly together.

"I wish I could too. How about I stay until you fall asleep?" He asked.

"You don't have to do that Jack." She said.

"I know, but I want to." He said, wrapping his arm around a little tighter and kissing the top of her head.

They sat side by side in the dimly lit restaurant enjoying the peace and quiet as well as the melt in your mouth steaks in front of them.

"Do you eat here often?" She asked.

"Maybe once or twice a year when I get dragged out to dinner with a colleague. Nice, cozy restaurants and young children really don't go well together so I don't bring my kids here. I wanted to treat you to something nice, make tonight a little special." He said and smiled at her.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because I feel like I don't treat you to nice things enough or let you know how special you have become to me. I'd never want you to get the idea that sex is the main attraction or that coming over to your house for a late night rendezvous is all you can expect from me from now on. I like spending time with you with your clothes on too." He said sweetly and winked at her.

"Jack, I wasn't thinking that, but I'm not surprised you would worry about that. You are the consummate gentleman and just so you know, you've become pretty special to me too. I look forward to whatever time we can have together." She said, placing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

He kissed her back, pulled back, placed a gentle hand on the side of her face and quietly gazed into her eyes until she finally broke the trance she'd had him in by placing her hand over his and tilting her head into his embrace.

"You look so beautiful tonight. I can't wait to introduce you to everyone and make them all jealous." He said softly and placed one last gentle kiss on her lips before pulling back fully.

It was a little after eight when they pulled into the driveway of his home. They were going to quickly change into their costumes and leave again. The house was dark and appeared to be deserted.

"Surely they're not all in bed already." Kate said as she stepped out of the car and moved to Jack's side.

"Candice said she might take them all out for ice cream. That's why I left her the SUV." Jack said, taking hold of her hand and walking them to the front door.

He put his key in the lock, turned the doorknob and escorted her into the dark home. As soon as he shut the door, the lights came on and six children and one neighbor screamed "Surprise!" making Kate jump and then turn to face him.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"It wasn't me, it was Kenny. He called me last Sunday and told me that today was your birthday and asked if I'd help him make a party for you. Happy Birthday Baby." Jack explained and kissed her quickly before the children began swarming her, offering birthday hugs and kisses, all except for Jordan who stood back and quietly observed.

Kate was visibly moved by the gesture. He could see her eyes tearing up as the children grabbed hold of her and excitedly dragged her into the dining room where there was cake and balloons and presents. He sadly recalled how Kenny had told him that his mom never had a birthday party and guessed that the asshole she'd been married to never bothered to acknowledge her birthday and that she never bothered to acknowledge it either. His daughters had been excited to be picking out a present for her and the precise instructions Kenny had given him about the Heart Pendant Necklace he saw in the newspaper ad and hid in a drawer in Jack's kitchen had made him forget about the asshole she was married to and smile warmly over the little boy who obviously loved his mother very much.

The gifts weren't extravagant and probably something that anyone who isn't a parent would find to be terribly tacky, but they were the sort of gifts that young children pick out and he could tell Kate was more than touched by their effort. Jack had picked up the inexpensive necklace for Kenny and Candice had taken the two younger boys to shop as soon as he and Kate left for dinner. He stood back and watched Kate open her gifts and shower each child with heartfelt thanks and couldn't help but smile because the moment was as close to perfect as anything he'd witnessed in many, many years. He even noticed a bit of spark in Jordan 's typically empty eyes when Kate excitedly raved about the stationary with cute little ducks and hugged her before Jordan had a chance to refuse. He was so engrossed in the birthday scene that he didn't notice Kenny move in beside him until he moved a little and nearly stepped on his foot.

"Whoa, sorry bud, did I step on you?" He asked.

"I'm fine. My mom is so happy Jack. Thank you." Kenny said and held his hand out for Jack to shake.

"It was my pleasure Kenny." Jack said, taking the small hand into his and shaking it while biting back a grin.

He watched the boy dig into the pocket of his jeans and pull out a crumpled wad of money and some change. He dropped the money into Jack's hand and pushed the material that was hanging out back into his jeans pocket.

"What's this for?" Jack asked.

"That's for the necklace. Mom gives us 50 cents a day to get a snack after school. I've been saving mine. There's exactly fourteen dollars and ninety-nine cents there." Kenny said proudly.

Jack smiled and shoved the money into his pants pocket, not about to burst the boy's bubble with an annoying explanation about sales tax and how the necklace had actually cost sixteen dollars and twenty-three cents.

Once the gifts were all opened, the candles on the cake were lit, happy birthday was sung and Kate blew out the candles. He could tell she was on the verge of tears the entire time, but was holding back because she was afraid the children wouldn't understand they were happy tears and wasn't about to spoil the moment for them. With six happy children seated around the table eating cake and ice cream, Jack took Kate by the hand and they slipped away to the back of the house and into his bedroom. He closed the door and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly while she let the go of the tears. She finally pulled away from him and excused herself, disappearing into the bathroom and closing the door.

She returned a few minutes later, tears dried and eyes almost back to normal. She smiled at him and he pulled her into his arms again, kissing her passionately.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm great. That was probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Help me put this on?" She asked and dropped the necklace into his hand as she turned around.

He slipped the necklace around her neck and fastened the clasp and she turned back around, holding the cheap, small gold heart in her fingers.

"I know babe, but he really wanted to get that necklace for you and I wasn't about to deviate from the plan." He said.

"It's perfect Jack. I love it and I love that you helped my son and didn't put a damper on his excitement by trying to change what he wanted to do. I should find a sturdier chain for it though or it's liable to break and I won't notice until it's gone and it's too late." She said as he pulled her into his arms again and kissed her.

"We should change into these costumes and get ready to go. Are you ready for a full childless evening Ms. Austen?" He asked and gave her another quick peck on the lips.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Candice is here for the night. We aren't coming home until tomorrow morning and don't start with the objections because of the kids, they'll be fine." Jack said.

"Okay, I won't object, but where are we going?" She asked

"It's a surprise. I haven't given you my birthday present yet." He said.

They moved through the party together, his arm around her waist and hers around his. Their costumes were amusing and as Jack had suggested a bit on the naughty side, the sexual innuendo not lost on the adult party goers. After about an hour she broke away from him and began conversing with a group of women in one room of the very large home they were in, enduring jokes about how they wouldn't mind having Jack stick his plug into their socket while Jack endured similar comments from his male colleagues.

"She's one really hot babe Jack." Tim, a long-time friend and fellow surgeon commented.

"Stop drooling Tim and don't talk about her like she's some sexual object. Her name is Kate." Jack said.

"Sorry man, I didn't realize she….Kate…was special to you. She's certainly way too pretty for you. Where'd you meet her?" Tim asked.

"She's Carly's teacher." Jack answered.

"Damn, they didn't have teachers that looked like that when I was 12." Tim commented and made a growling sound.

"It's a good thing. You would've been too busy spanking the monkey to learn anything and where would all of those patients be without god himself to save them." Jack taunted.

"No, no my friend, I am "A" god, not "THE" god and I would suggest you're jealous because that's how all the nurses feel about me, but if you're going home and plugging that socket every night you're most definitely not jealous of anything I've been hittin." Tim laughed and patted Jack on the shoulder.

"You've had way too much to drink Tim. I'm going to go rescue Kate. Perhaps you should consider drinking some coffee." Jack said and walked away from his intoxicated friend.

She watched him walking toward her and had to giggle at how ridiculous he looked dressed up like a giant plug.

"Looks like you're about to get plugged Kate." One of the women teased, making her blush.

Jack noticed the blush and could guess what caused it and realized what a really bad idea the costumes were because his friends were ruthless about this sort of thing, especially since this was the first social event he'd shown up at with a woman on his arm since his wife died. He stopped in front of her, moved his mouth to her ear and whispered.

"You ready to get out of here and go make some electricity?" He teased.

"Ugh Jack, not you too?" She groaned.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. Next year we'll make sure our costumes aren't so sexually suggestive." He told her and kissed her on the cheek.

She smiled at him and wondered if he even realized that talking about them still being together a year into the future made her heart jump, if he realized how important everything he said and did was to her and if he had any idea how deep her feelings for him ran and how much that scared her.

They disappeared into one of the bedrooms, removed the plug and socket portions of their costumes, made out for a few minutes and then spent the next fifteen minutes saying their goodbyes.

He pulled up to the front doors of the posh hotel, helped her out of the car and handed his keys to the valet. They walked arm and arm to the desk and checked in. It was after eleven and she'd come close to dosing off in the car, having just enough alcohol in her to make her drowsy, but now she was feeling refreshed again and her skin was tingling in anticipation of what was to come. They were about to spend the next few hours in complete privacy in a beautiful hotel room. There would be no holding back for fear of waking one or more of the children and the idea of having him all to herself like that was making her practically vibrate with excitement. She heard him ask the Concierge if everything was as he'd asked and squeezed his butt gently to get his attention.

"I'm sure everything is fine. Let's go." She said and gave his butt another squeeze, making him chuckle lightly, wrap his arm around her tighter and lead her away from the desk toward the elevators.

They stepped inside elevator, pressed the number for their floor and relaxed into each other's arms. He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her lips, so pure and so soft a feeling of warmth rushed over her entire body. She placed her hand on his chest and leaned into him, capturing his mouth with hers and pouring all of her feelings into a deep, slow, passionate kiss that made him stumble backward slightly and moan softly into her mouth as he wrapped his arms around her tighter and pulled her closer. The elevator stopped and they separated, both somewhat entranced by the moment and quiet as they slowly made their way off the elevator and down the hall to the suite he had reserved.

He slipped the card into the slot of the doors to the suite, opened the door and stood back so she could enter ahead of him. She entered the room and he followed behind, hitting the light switch on the wall and illuminating the room. There was small sitting area with two chairs and a small sofa surrounding a round table. On the table sat a dozen red roses in a vase, a tray of petits fours, champagne on ice, coffee and two perfectly wrapped gifts.

"Jack, you shouldn't…I mean, you didn't have to…this is too much." She said.

"Kate, I know we've only been seeing each other for about six weeks, but I've never been the type of guy who needs months or years to figure out what his heart wants." Jack said and led her over to the sofa and sat down with her.

"Yeah? So what does your heart want Jack?" She asked.

"It wants you and it wants to make you feel as special as you are on your birthday." He said.

"Are you always this sweet?" She asked as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Only to beautiful women who consume all of my thoughts." He said softly, wiping the tear away and kissing her gently.

"Thank you for everything, for the little party with the kids and for taking me to a party in the biggest house I've ever seen in my life and for this. You're going to make it very hard for me to resist the urge to blow off my responsibilities and spend the weekend with you aren't you?" She asked and kissed him, pushing him backward and hungrily attacking his mouth, determined to show him in every way possible how much she appreciated everything he'd done and just how special he too was to her.

_**Cruel I know, but I have to give you a reason to come back don't I? Also, I'm aware that on the show it was suggested that Kate was a Gemini, but in this particular world she's a Scorpio. : )**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Thanks for reading and reviewing everyone! : )**_

He could feel her hands fumbling frantically with the buttons on his shirt as her mouth attacked his hungrily, her body trembling against his with anticipation, intent on devouring him and judging by the way she was quickly moving down his torso she was planning on devouring all of him. Up to this point Kate had been a very exciting and reactive lover who was content to allow him to be in the driver's seat. She hadn't shown any interest in getting up close and personal with his penis, but apparently that was about to change and he needed a moment to process that and reel himself back in so that he didn't react like a teenage boy and end things before they had a chance to get started. He gently pulled her back up until she was facing him and smiled at her.

"Don't you want to open your presents?" He asked.

"That's what I'm trying to do, but my present isn't cooperating." She said in sexy tone and kissed him, gently biting at his bottom lip and rubbing her thigh over his crotch.

"We have a king-sized bed at our disposal. Do you really want to do this on this tiny couch?" He asked in a breathy tone as he kissed her neck and slipped his hand up the back of her shirt.

"I want to do this everywhere we can in this room." She moaned and slid back down his torso slowly, seductively maintaining eye contact with the entire time.

He would rather move the activities to the bed, but he was reeled in now and if she wanted to go ahead and start here, he was okay with that because he was confident he'd be able to finish it in the bed. He relaxed and watched her staring back at him with a flaming desire that increased the discomfort in the front of his pants. She unfastened his belt and then his pants, never taking her eyes off of him and reached inside, slipping her fingers inside the opening of his boxers and shivering as she let them glide over his hardness maintaining eye contact with him and gasping as his eyes suddenly went dark and seemed to be boring a hole right through her.

She moved her hands to the waistband of his pants, grabbing both the pants and the boxers and began pulling them down, both still watching one another and him lifting his hips so she could complete the task. She stopped once the pants and boxers were at his knees and reached out to touch him. He grabbed her wrist gently and shook his head no.

"Take them all the way off." He said softly.

She smiled at him and moved back down his legs, pulling off first his shoes, then his socks and then slipping the pants and underwear down past his knees, over his calves and off, tossing them across the room for effect making him laugh lightly. She reached for him again and he grabbed her wrist again.

"Now the shirt." He said, his voice so low it was almost a whisper and she felt the moisture begin to pool between her legs.

She moved up between his legs, allowing her fully clothed body to rub over his naked bottom half and rest there as she slowly unbuttoned the rest of his shirt, pushing the sides away from him and moving her hands over his chest and abdomen before tugging on his arms encouraging him to sit up so she could slip the shirt off his shoulders and arms.

With the shirt successfully removed and tossed across the room to join his pants she pressed on his shoulders and encouraged him to relax back into the cushions before she once again reached out to touch him only to be stopped again. She considered getting frustrated with him for a nanosecond, but he was into this, his eyes so dark and his body hot to the touch so she simply looked at him and tilted her head to the side, gazing at him lovingly as she awaited his next request.

"Now take your clothes off, your shirt and bra first, then your pants." He said.

She stood and slowly removed her clothes, his eyes never leaving hers once to enjoy the view and she was impressed by his restraint. Most men couldn't keep their eyes focused on a woman's eyes when the woman was dressed. He smiled at her and she finally broke the eye contact and moved her eyes over his body and what a beautiful body it was. She'd touched him, had him inside of her and lay with her naked body draped over his, but this was the first time she'd had the pleasure of taking in the full view and she wondered if she'd just thought about it or if she really had licked her lips.

She moved down to the floor on her knees and placed herself between his legs, slowly snaking her way up his body to his mouth where she began to kiss him until they were both breathless. She could feel his hands all over her back and bottom and the guttural sound he made when his finger slipped inside of her made her stomach tingle as she became so wet she was certain she'd soaked his hand. She moved up further, placing her knees on either side of his hips and he immediately closed his mouth over one of her nipples, sucking gently as he removed his hand from where he'd been penetrating her from behind and brought it around to the front of her body. He gently caressed her other breast for moment before moving his hand down between her legs and pushing his middle finger in as far as would go, his large hand cupping her and providing pressure exactly where she was begging for it.

She was going crazy. His mouth was sucking and biting her nipples while his hand was working her pussy into a frenzy. She placed her hands on his shoulders and began to slowly ride his hand, needing to come so badly she felt like her insides might burst. She began panting and moaning and finally threw her head back and cried out, the orgasm hitting her hard and forcing her body forward into his, trapping his hand and forcing it to be still, everything throbbing and too sensitive to be touched any longer. He moved his free hand gently over her back while she rode out the orgasm and recovered.

She pulled herself back enough to look at him and he didn't look smug or desperate, he just looked incredibly content and she wondered how any woman could've ever become so unhappy with him that she'd feel the need to cut her wrists just to get back at him. She kissed him passionately and he returned the passion, his tongue slowly and sensuously making love to her mouth, his hardness poking at her backside and him remaining calm and patient and dare she suggest…..loving.

She pulled away from his mouth and moved down his body, kissing and biting at his chest and stomach as she made her way down. She cupped a gentle hand over his balls and looked up at him, making eye contact and then slowly taking as much of him into her mouth as she could, his dark eyes glazing over, the feeling so good and so appreciated he had no choice but to relinquish all control and give himself over to her completely…..for now.

He relaxed back into the cushions completely and watched her make a meal out of him. God it was so hot and making him so hard that all he could think about one moment was turning her onto her stomach, grabbing her by the hair and fucking her until she begged for mercy and in the next moment taking her to bed and slowly making love to her until both of them were too spent to move. He could feel the tugging in his lower abdomen and the tingling in his balls and he knew that if he didn't pull her away soon it'd be awhile before he'd be physically able to make love to her at all and he didn't want this to end that way so he moved his hand through her hair gently.

"Baby, that's enough, please. I can't hold on much longer and I really want us to make love." He said, almost panting.

He sounded adorably desperate and as much as much as she enjoyed being in control, she was happy to relinquish it back to him because her past experiences with him told her that Jack in control equals very good things for Kate and also because, like him, she wanted to make love, the connection she felt with him when they were making love was quickly becoming a feeling she craved. Her life had been such a fucked up chaotic mess for so long, but this thing she had going with him wasn't fucked up or chaotic. It was bliss. To anyone observing that would seem ridiculous because a future that included them and six children would most certainly be anything but bliss the majority of the time, but in these moments, moments like this when he's pulling her into his arms and she is in that moment the center of his universe, it's unadulterated bliss.

She was in his arms and being carried toward the bed, her legs wrapped around his waist and their mouths desperately showing the hunger they were feeling. He laid her on the bed, worked himself between her legs and pushed inside, hissing and groaning as he took hold of her left thigh and lifted it over his hip, driving himself in deeper. He let go of her thigh and dropped forward, holding the majority of his weight off of her and thrusting in and out of her slowly while his mouth moved over her neck and face and finally her mouth, kissing sloppily as they found their rhythm and she came quickly, calling out his name loudly as he continued on, never breaking stride and becoming as vocal as her, kissing no longer an option.

She pulled her legs back and pushed her hips up driving him in deeper, both getting noisier and noisier as he began to move faster and thrust harder. Her hands were everywhere as she attempted to hold on, the bed creaking and groaning against the movement. She grabbed hold of his ass and held tight, pushing him in deeper with every thrust and wishing it would never end while hoping it would hurry up and end as her orgasm continued to build. She finally let go of the breath she didn't realize she was holding, relaxed her groin muscles and let the euphoria spill through her lower regions.

"So good, so good, come with me babe." She panted and held tightly to him as he began to slow down and eventually stop, holding firmly inside of her as he released, wondering if she had any idea how hard he was falling for her.

He moved off of her and they pulled the bed coverings back, slipped under them and snuggled up together in the center of the bed. They lay together quietly for about 30 minutes when she finally raised her head, kissed his chest and looked up at him with eyes that definitely wanted something.

"Something I can do for you?" He asked with a light laugh.

"I'm kind of hungry and I was thinking how good those little cakes on the other side of the room must taste." She said.

He moved off the bed and disappeared behind a wall to the other side of the room. When he reappeared he was wearing his boxers and carrying his shirt in one hand and the tray of cakes in the other. She sat up and he handed her the shirt to put on and set the cakes on the bed in front of her before disappearing behind the wall again. He returned with the gifts, the champagne and two champagne glasses and scooted back onto the bed with her. He set the champagne and glasses on the bedside table and handed her the presents.

"Happy Birthday Kate." He said and kissed her, gently licking the smidgen of frosting from the corner of her mouth.

"These are so good Jack. Here, taste one." She said and fed him one of the little squares of frosted cake.

"Mmm…it's good, but it's really sweet. I wasn't sure what your favorite kind of cake was so I went with the multiple choice option." He said.

"I like all kinds of cake so multiple choice is good." She moaned as she devoured another little square.

"Want some champagne?" He asked.

"Sure, but just a little, I get drunk easily on that stuff and can't be held accountable for my actions, which wouldn't be pretty by the way." She said.

"It's hard to imagine you not being pretty no matter what you're doing." He said sweetly and kissed her softly.

He saw the tears well up in her eyes and spill over and he gently wiped them away.

"Why are you crying? Did I do something to upset you?" He asked.

"No, no, of course not. You're just so sweet and I can't believe you did all of this for me. Nobody has ever done anything like this for me and I could really get used to this Jack, not the presents and cakes and champagne, but this, us and it really scares me because where can this go?" She rambled as she worked to get her tears under control.

"Where would you like it to go Kate?" He asked.

"Don't ask me questions like that Jack. It's not fair." She said with a hint of anger.

"What's not fair?" He asked.

"It's not fair for you to expect me to put it all out there when you're not willing to give an inch. I have no idea how you feel about me." She said.

"You don't? No idea at all?" He asked, his tone suggesting that she should at least have some clue.

"Hoping that you're feeling the same things I am isn't the same as actually knowing Jack and neither one of us seem to be willing to talk about our feelings." She said.

"Maybe that's because we're both too afraid to express our feelings or maybe it's because we're both too scarred from past experiences to believe that something real and long lasting is happening here." He offered.

"Is it?" She asked.

"I don't know Kate is it? I know I think about you constantly when I'm not with you. I know when I found out it was your birthday I wanted to give you the world, but realized a man who didn't even know his girlfriend's date of birth or what kind of sweets she prefers probably isn't supposed to want to give so much because society dictates that we devote a certain amount of time and energy to getting to know a person before we're allowed to have such deep feelings for them. You got safe, respectable gifts because if I'd given you what my heart wanted to give, you probably would've either laughed or run away, neither of which was a desirable response." He said his tone edgy, the confidence he typically exuded shaky.

She set the cakes on the bed and crawled into his lap, straddling him and placing her arms around his neck and kissing him before bringing one hand around to cup the side of his face.

"I would never laugh at you Jack and I can't run away, the last time I thought about running away I lost the ability to breathe properly. You're right. I'm scarred and while a part of me is afraid of this not going anywhere, another part of me is afraid that it will." She said and kissed him again.

"So...should we write our feelings down on little pieces of paper, trade really quick and read them?" He asked in a light tone making her laugh lightly.

"That's one idea, or we could be really brave and just honestly talk to one another about what we're feeling and what we want or think we want. What did you want to give me Jack?" She asked.

He looked at her perched on his lap, the much too large shirt swallowing her entire frame making her look so beautiful and sexy to him and all he could think about was how he never wanted to have to spend another night away from her, how he wanted to wake up next to her every morning and how he wanted to have her with him so he'd know that every single day wasn't such a struggle for her. He reached up to softly caress her face and smiled at her.

"A key." He finally said.

"A key? A key to what?" She asked.

"I could be really corny and say to my heart, but you've already got that." He admitted, the nervousness returning to his tone.

"So what kind of key was it?" She asked.

"A key to my house." He answered.

"Jack, why would you…" She started to ask, but then stopped herself when she realized where he was going with this and decided to take a moment to collect her thoughts.

"Kate, I know it's fast, but I'm falling in love with you and I want us to have more time together and I want our kids to have more time with us. I want us to learn all the little things about each other whether they're good things or things that drive us crazy. How can we ever hope to really thrive as a couple and potentially as a family if we aren't together except on the weekends and however many late night nookie sessions we can squeeze in." He pleaded his case.

She hadn't really processed much after the part where he said he was falling in love with her because as much as she had hoped, she hadn't dare let herself dream that this perfectly wonderful man was going to offer her love and happily ever after and now that he had, she was dumbstruck. She could think of nothing but how she too was falling in love with him and how much she wanted him at the moment. She leaned forward and gently nibbled at his lips, feeling him start to kiss back and hungrily pressing forward, swallowing him in a deep, passionate kiss that made them both forget about the food, the champagne and the discussion they were having.

She sat up and slowly unbuttoned the two or three buttons she'd used to close the shirt she was wearing and let it fall off her shoulders. She sat in his lap completely nude and he felt his breath hitch as he reached out to touch her, still finding himself pleasantly surprised that this beautiful woman seemed to have eyes for only him. She lay forward onto his chest, the feeling of their warm skin touching so soothing and exciting at the same time. His large, warm hands moved over her back slowly, while she lay against him drawing lazy circles over his chest with her finger, craving the closeness every bit as much as she was craving him.

Her naked crotch was pressed against his boxer clad crotch and she could feel him hardening beneath her as they lay together, not speaking and barely moving. His hands moved slowly over her backside and she shivered against him, lifting her head and finding his mouth again, their tongues slowly dancing in a perfect rhythm as he pushed his boxers down and slowly guided her onto him. They moaned into each other's mouths and continued their dance as their lower halves began to move until the rhythms were almost perfectly matched.

He couldn't believe he was hard again and he couldn't believe how good it always felt to be buried inside of her and the more he was, the more he wanted her. Every time they made love his feelings for her grew stronger and even though he'd been in love before it didn't compare to this. This was intense. It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced and as her body began to quiver and she tightened around him, he wondered if she felt it too.

He pushed the tray of cakes out of the way and rolled her onto her back, feeling her legs wrap around his waist and her arms around his shoulders, holding him close and nuzzling her face into his neck.

"I love you too…so much, too much. How did that happen so quickly?" She whispered and he could feel moisture from her tears on his neck.

He lifted his head and gazed down at her before gently kissing the tears on each of her cheeks.

"I'll never intentionally hurt you Kate, I promise. I'll never try to own you or control you or treat you like you don't matter. I only want to make you feel as good as you make me feel." He said softly and began making love to her some more.

She pulled him close and buried her face in his neck again, the tears continuing as she allowed the incredible feeling of him moving within her take over her completely. No man had ever made love to her the way he did and in that moment she understood why he seemed to believe that she should have a good idea how he felt about her. He was expressing the depth of his feelings for her every time he made love to her. She was experiencing something she'd never known before because no other man she'd ever been with had ever cared for her the way that Jack does and they certainly didn't love her. She could feel the orgasm building and latched onto his neck, biting and sucking gently as he brought her to her peak and held her close as she cried out and eventually relaxed beneath him as his release filled her womb.

He stayed inside of her for awhile, gently thrusting against her and kissing her as though he could never get enough of her. He finally slipped out of her and moved off of her, hearing her groan in protest of the loss of contact. The sex and admission of feelings had exhausted them and they sleepily found their way under the covers and cuddled close.

"Jack, we'll talk about it tomorrow I promise." She said in a very groggy voice.

"Talk about what baby?" He asked softly.

"About you giving me that key." She said so softly he could barely hear her.

"Does that mean you aren't totally against the idea?" He asked hopefully, but didn't get an answer.

He looked down and she was out. She was snuggled in as close to him as she could get and sleeping soundly, her face looking as content and peaceful as he'd ever known it to look. As he reached for the switch to turn off the lamp he glanced down at the floor. The unopened presents had been tossed there; being with him seeming to be the only gift she wanted or needed. Beside the gifts lay the toppled plate of petits fours, the majority of the white cake and white frosted ones consumed, while most of the chocolate flavored cakes remained untouched. He made a quick mental note of the fact that she likes white cake, smiled, kissed her temple softly and turned off the lamp.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Thanks for reading and for reviewing! Are you ready for a little angst?**_

She could feel the light kisses over her neck and shoulder and smiled, not yet awake enough to respond, but enjoying being awakened this way. At some point they had turned onto their sides and she lay with her back pressed into his chest and abdomen, his strong, hard body spooned protectively around hers. His hand moved gently over her breasts as his lips continued their patient, feathery trail over shoulders and upper back and she could feel the familiar sensations of want and need building. She turned to face him, placing light kisses on his chest and finally on his mouth, deepening the kiss and wrapping a leg over his hip as she ground her hips into his.

His initial intent had been to wake her so he could feed her breakfast, but this was okay too he thought to himself as he positioned himself at her opening and slowly pushed inside, pulling her leg up a little higher and pressing their upper bodies together tightly. They both groaned loudly at the connection and their mouths simultaneously attacked as their bodies and minds became more and more awake and urgency began to creep in. She rolled him onto his back and sat up, grinding her hips into his fully and gasping as his hardness stretched her and filled her fully.

His hand immediately found her breasts and gently caressed them as she began to slowly rotate over him, the velvet tightness enveloping him and awakening the urgent need once again. He gripped her hips firmly and began to guide her, finding the perfect rhythm and loosening his hold on her. He wasn't going to last long. It was too tight, too good and he didn't feel like being in control. She was in the driver's seat, making love to him and he was happy to go along for the ride as long as he knew the thrill wasn't going to be all his and judging by sounds coming from her he wasn't about to round the curve on his own. She panted and moaned and then screamed out his name, falling forward onto his chest and feeling his arms wrap tightly around her. She could feel his lower body jerking lightly against her as he let go, one of his hands squeezing the meatiest part of her butt while the other hand held tightly to her back.

They lay quietly for a few minutes, his hands trailing up and down her bare back lightly as he softened inside of her. She carefully moved off of him and curled up beside him, burying her face in his neck, his scent both soothing and intoxicating to her.

"That was a nice way to wake up." She mumbled into the side of his neck.

"Waking up next to you is a nice way to wake up." He said and placed a light kiss on her temple.

"Would you feel the same if every morning you were waking up next to a woman wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt who wasn't dying to jump your bones?" She asked.

"That depends." He said.

"On what?" She asked.

"On whether or not she'd be willing to let me strip her out of those clothes once in awhile and jump her bones." He chuckled.

"I'm serious Jack." She said and nuzzled her face in closer.

"I know you are and I know you're hesitant and scared and probably even a little freaked out over the idea of waking up next to me every day, but that's okay, it's a big deal and neither one of us would be normal if we weren't feeling that way." He said.

"Jack, if it were just the two of us I'd say let's go for it, but what about the kids. We'd be completely disrupting their lives." She said.

"Kate, no matter what we do, the kids are going to be affected. I wouldn't be suggesting we live together if I didn't feel pretty positive about us. We of course have to consider the children in every decision we make, but we can't allow the kids to be the decisive factor in our relationship and how we handle it going forward." He said.

"You're right, but if we do this Jack, it's not going to be easy, you do realize that don't you? Are you ready to take on three more children, children who up to this point consider you more a playmate than an authority figure?" She asked.

"I am if you are. You know Kate I saw something in Jordan last night that I have seen in my little girl in four years and I'd never ask you to be a mother to my girls unless you wanted that, but they need a strong, female influence in their lives so even though this could get really rocky at times, I can't see how it would ever be a bad thing." He pleaded his case.

"So would we explain it to the kids and do they even get a vote?" She asked.

"Kids get to vote on what we're having for dinner or what we're going to watch on television. They don't get to vote on whether or not their parents get to pursue a somewhat normal relationship." He said.

"Are we going to break up if I say no?" She asked quietly.

"What? No, of course not. Kate, it's a suggestion, not an ultimatum." He told her as he felt the warm tears on his neck and shoulder.

"Jack, I want to be with you, I do, but I can't. I can't just abandon my home and uproot my children to move in with a guy I've known for two months. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad." She cried.

He rolled her onto her back and wiped the tears from her face before kissing her gently.

"I'm not mad Kate. It's a big step and I understand if you're feeling some trepidation about taking it." He said sweetly, his eyes gazing into hers and telling her that he was disappointed, but not mad.

"But you're right Jack. We don't see each other enough and if we don't do this how are we going to remedy that?" She asked.

"We'll just have to figure something out." He offered.

"You did figure something out and I squashed the idea without giving it a fair amount of consideration. It's a good idea Jack. Maybe I should just go for it, but how can I? I mean I can't do this right? It'd be crazy and irresponsible." She rambled.

"Kate, you're all over the place. I can't keep up." He sighed and fell back onto his back, feeling a bit frustrated with her.

"I'm sorry. I'm just feeling very confused and somewhat panicked." She admitted.

"Then you made the right decision for now because I don't want you doing anything with me unless you feel good about it." He said.

"I just don't want to disappear again Jack." She said softly, sadly.

He finally understood what the real issue was and felt a little guilty for getting frustrated with her. He propped himself up on one elbow and moved his fingers lightly along her jaw and upper chest, staring deeply into her eyes.

"You won't disappear Kate. I'm not David and I would never treat you or any woman the way he treated you, but I understand if you need more time to believe that. You don't have to make a decision about this today. The offer is out there and it doesn't have an expiration date. If you ever feel like you might want to give it shot let me know and we'll go from there." He told her and kissed her.

"I meant what I said last night. I love you and I do trust you." She said.

"I love you too." He said and smiled at her, not willing to discuss whether or not she really did trust him, because he was relatively sure that she didn't, not fully.

He moved off the bed, picked up the packages from the night before and handed them to her before making himself comfortable in the bed right beside her once again. They both sat up and she relaxed back into him, keeping the sheets wrapped around her chest. She held up one of the boxes and shook it gently.

"So what does Jack Shephard consider a safe and respectable birthday gift?" She asked and began tearing the paper away slowly. She finished unwrapping the package and stared at the box.

"Is this really an iPhone or did you just use the box and put something else inside?" She asked.

"I've seen your cell phone Kate, the 90s called, they want it back." He chuckled.

"Shut up, it's not that old. I can't believe you bought me an iPhone. I love it. Thank you." She said and kissed him.

"It's not really all that respectable since I expect you snap nude photos of yourself and send them to me when I'm working double shifts at the hospital and can't see you." He teased.

"Yeah, just keep dreaming that's going to happen baby." She laughed lightly and grabbed the other package, opening it with a bit more vigor than the last and gasping at the sight of the diamond earrings inside.

"Is that a happy gasp I hope?" He asked.

"Jack, they're beautiful." She said and turned to kiss him again.

"You're beautiful." He said, wrapping his arm around her tightly and kissing her lovingly.

"Thank you so much Jack, for everything. It's the best birthday I've ever had." She told him.

"It's not over yet. We're going to take a shower, get dressed, go have a nice breakfast and then I'm going to take you to your house and drop you off. That way you can do all those annoying domestic chores without having three boys underfoot." He said.

"You're going to keep my boys today? What about Kenny's game?" She asked.

"I'll grab his stuff when I drop you off and you can meet us there. It's not until six right?" He asked.

"You're sweet Jack, but you don't have to do this. I'm used to juggling 50 things at once." She said.

"So maybe you don't have to do that so much anymore. Maybe you could let the guy that loves you and hates watching everything being so difficult for you help out when he can." He offered.

"Maybe I could and maybe I will, but only if that guy would be willing to let me help him out once in awhile too." She suggested.

"He might be willing to go along with that, but you have to understand that my generosity today is purely selfish." He said.

"How's that?" She asked.

"I'm hoping that by giving you the peace and quiet to get everything done you'll reconsider and spend the rest of the weekend with me." He told her in a joking manner.

"And if I don't reconsider will you rescind your offer to keep the three maniacs with you today?" She asked.

"No, I'll just go to bed really sad and lonely tonight. Do you really want that on your conscious Kate?" He asked, doing his best to sound sad and desperate and not laugh while doing so.

"Well I can't have that on my conscious." She said and scooted off of the bed, taking the sheet with her.

She turned to walk toward the bathroom with the sheet wrapped her around her and then turned back around to look at him. He was watching her with questioning eyes, not sure what it was exactly she had on her mind.

"Are you coming?" She asked in a sexy tone.

"No, but something tells me that I'm going to be in about 15 minutes." He mumbled happily and moved off the bed to join her.

She sat in the bleachers of the little league stadium watching for him to arrive with six children in tow and thought about the night and morning they'd spent together and about the offer he'd put on the table. She quickly shook away the thoughts about the offer and as she stood to adjust the blanket she'd put down and felt the slight soreness between her legs, her mind was immediately drawn back to the shower they had shared and she smiled. He'd taken her against the wall of that shower with so much passion that she was relatively sure that she hadn't put a damper on their relationship by turning down his offer and for that she was grateful. He definitely was the grown up in the relationship and she appreciated his patience and genuine warmth and kindness more than any expensive gift he could ever buy for her.

She glanced toward the gate and saw him approaching with the kids. He was carrying Tucker, who appeared to be sleeping on his shoulder, with one arm and his other hand held firmly to Kendall's hand. Kenny and Carly appeared to be helping him corral Simon and Jordan and the sight made her smile. Was it really possible that they could be a family some day?

Kenny finally ran ahead and up the bleachers to talk to her. He seemed so happy and a little excited about something.

"Hi honey, did you have fun at Jack's house and more importantly did you boys behave yourselves?" She asked and took hold of one of his hands.

"We had so much fun mom and Jack never had to yell at us one time. He taught me how to throw a spiral and he said if we go back to his house after the game I could help him cook the hamburgers on the grill. Can we mom? Please?" Kenny pleaded with her, as happy as she'd seen the boy in a long time or maybe ever.

"Sure." She said, not needing to think about it, the sheer joy the child was exuding over being included in some male bonding ritual that involved fire telling her it was something he needed to be allowed to do.

"I have to go down to the field. Tell Jack to hurry and come down so I can show you the perfect spiral I can throw." Kenny said and moved to pull away from her.

"Just a minute buster. I haven't seen you all day. Can I at least have a hug?" She asked.

He moved in and hugged her, the bulky shoulder pads keeping her from getting a good grip on him.

"I love you big guy." She said.

"Love you too mom!" He said happily and ran down the bleacher steps, passing Jack and the kids on his way.

Jack made it to the row Kate had reserved for all of them and Kendall broke away from his grip, eyes full of tears and reaching out for Kate to pick her up. Kate noticed Jack and Carly's _'oh brother'_ expressions as she gathered the crying little girl into her arms.

"What's the matter sweetie?" Kate asked, cradling the little girl and kissing the side of her head.

"Daddy spanked me!" She cried and buried her face in Kate's shirt.

Kate looked at Jack and he was suddenly glad he was holding Tucker because he believed his life would've been in real danger otherwise.

"Okay, yeah, um… we aren't having this conversation right now. Carly can you hold him while I go down to the field for a minute. I promised Kenny he could show his mom how he throws the football." Jack said and handed the sleeping toddler off to his oldest daughter, turning away from Kate's death glare and heading down the bleachers to the field.

Carly sat beside Kate with the sleeping little boy wrapped around her while Simon and Jordan immediately went for the snacks they knew Kate packed in the small backpack she brought to the ball field with her.

"Is he sick?" Kate asked and placed a gentle hand on Tucker's back.

"No, he cried himself to sleep in my dad's arms and has been asleep ever since." Carly said.

"Why was he crying?" Kate asked.

" Kendall, why don't you tell Kate why Tucker was crying." Carly said, apparently annoyed with her baby sister.

"No! Shut up Carly!" Kendall cried and buried her face deeper into Kate's chest.

"Hey, take it easy little one. We're all just talking." Kate said.

"No, don't talk about it Carly! Kate will be mad at me!" Kendall cried.

"It's okay honey. Whatever you did, I'm not going to be mad at you. Now try to relax and let your sister tell me what happened." Kate comforted the child.

"It started out early when my dad told her she couldn't ride her bike because it wasn't fair to ride bikes when the boys didn't have bikes to ride and that we had to do something else." Carly explained and readjusted the sleeping boy.

Kate quickly considered that if she'd just take Jack up on his offer then her boys would have their bikes at his house and then quickly refocused on the conversation at hand.

"What started out early?" Kate asked.

" Kendall's very bad attitude started out early and just got worse as the day went on. She'd get mad every time Dad would play with someone besides her. He took us to the park for almost two hours and then he took us to the pizza place with the arcade and the inflatables for lunch. He crawled through all those slides and bouncy things with her and Tucker and she still wasn't satisfied because she's a brat." Carly explained.

"Am not!" Kendall screamed.

"That's enough. Carly, can you please tell me the rest of the story and give your sister a break? She's only five." Kate said.

"Yeah, okay. We were all in the backyard playing and my dad was teaching Kenny how to throw a spiral, whatever that is, and Tucker and Kendall were playing in the sand box with some toy cars. Kendall kept screaming at my dad to look and when he didn't look fast enough for her taste she kicked Tucker really hard between the legs and threw sand in his face. Unfortunately for Kendall he did look over just in time to see her do what she did. My dad was so mad I thought his head was going to explode. He took Kendall inside and I thought he just put her in timeout for like the millionth time today, but I guess he spanked her and trust me Kate, she deserved it." Carly said.

"Poor baby. Is he okay? I mean, did Jack make sure he was okay?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, he took him into the house and cleaned all the sand out of his eyes and nose and checked out his um…injury and then he sat and held him and Tucker fell asleep and here we are." Carly said.

"Sounds like your dad has had an exhausting day." Kate said and glanced out onto the football field where he and Kenny were throwing the ball back and forth.

"I guess." Carly said and shrugged her shoulders.

"You okay? You seem a little moody today." Kate said.

"You didn't tell my dad what happened at school on Friday." Carly said.

"No, I didn't think it was necessary. It was between us." Kate said.

"Yeah, that's what he said when I told him about it. I'm sorry Kate. I don't know why I did that." She said.

"I think that maybe it's a little confusing for you. I'm Ms. Austen during the day and Kate on the weekends and I'm your dad's girlfriend so the boundaries probably got a little blurred. I'm sorry if this has been difficult for you, but when we're at school I am the teacher and you are the student and you don't get special treatment." Kate said.

"I know. It was dumb. I'll be glad when you aren't my teacher anymore though because you're right, it's weird, but getting to have you for a friend is pretty cool and you make my dad really happy so I'm willing to suck it up for a few more months if you are." Carly said, sounding more like a 20 year old than a 12 year old.

Kate put her free arm around Carly's shoulder and hugged her close.

"You know you're dad is right." Kate said softly.

"About what?" Carly asked.

"About what an awesome kid you are." Kate said, giving her one more tight squeeze.

He lay across the mattress on his stomach clad only in his boxers, moaning as her hands expertly massaged the knots out of his neck and back.

"You've had quite a day." She said.

"Yeah, six kids have an awful lot of energy." He sighed, fighting the sleep that wanted to overtake him.

"You have an awful lot of energy. Playing in the park and at the pizza place, teaching Kenny how to throw a spiral and grill hamburgers, comforting Tucker after he got hurt, letting Simon beat you at skee-ball." She said and continued rubbing his back.

"I didn't let him beat me Kate, he just did." Jack mumbled.

"Did you spend any time with your girls today Jack?" She asked.

"I did. I helped Carly with a few of those math problems you assigned for punishment and listened to her go on and on about some 8th grader who is just so hot…god help me. Jordan thinks she might want to play soccer so we kicked the ball around some and later we colored a picture together. Kendall was stuck to me like glue so we did everything from have a tea party to pushing her in the swing." He described his day.

"You had a tea party?" She giggled.

"Well, the tea was invisible of course. I've got a really busy week ahead so I wanted to make sure I spent as much time with them this weekend as possible." He explained.

"So Kendall was being unreasonable when it came to her expectations of you today?" Kate asked.

"If you mean was I spending all my time with the boys and neglecting her; the answer is no, I wasn't. I get that you don't approve of how I chose to punish her today, but trust me Kate, with this particular child, it is the only means of communicating some days. What she did to Tucker today was mean and I'm not going to raise a bully." Jack said, sounding tired and not in the mood to defend his parenting techniques.

"I'm not questioning your parenting methods Jack. I just want to make sure you're not trying so hard to win over my boys that you're neglecting your daughters." Kate said, the statement sounding more accusatory than she meant to allow it to.

He attempted to roll over and she moved off of him so he could complete the task. He sat up on his elbows and looked at her.

"Win your boys over? As in use the kids to convince their mom to move in here with me?" He asked, clearly insulted and more than a little hurt.

"Jack." She attempted to protest, but knew it fell flat because he wasn't wrong, it was exactly what she was accusing him of.

He moved off the bed, pulled on a pair of sweatpants, put on a t-shirt, grabbed a pillow from the bed and headed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I said this bedroom is a safe haven and that we aren't going to fight in that bed so I'm going to go sleep on the couch because I just really can't talk to you right now. Good night." He said and left the room without giving her a chance to respond.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate it and it makes happy to know you're enjoying this!**_

He wasn't surprised that she was on his heels, angry and ready to battle, but he wasn't looking for a battle. He was tired and frustrated and he just wanted five minutes alone to clear his head but she wasn't going to give that to him. She'd had one foot out the door and ready to bolt the entire time they'd been seeing each other and if she didn't give him a few minutes to collect himself he'd probably suggest she go ahead and do that. He felt her grab his arm from behind to stop him and he closed his eyes, mentally counting to ten and hoping he could continue to remain calm with her.

"You don't get to just walk out on me Jack!" She hissed.

"You need to lower your voice before you wake up the kids." He grumbled softly and continued his path to the couch in the family room.

He dropped the pillow onto the couch and laid down, grabbing the blanket that was folded up at the end of the couch and covering himself with it. He rolled onto his side so that his back was facing her, a move that infuriated her and she picked up a throw pillow and threw it at his head. He grabbed the small pillow and placed it under his head.

"Kate, what part of I can't talk to you right now did you not understand?" He asked, keeping his tone calm and steady.

"So what? You're just going to go to sleep?" She asked.

"I will if you stop throwing things at me." He said.

"Fine. I'm going to wake up the boys and take them home." She huffed.

He turned over and sat up, clearly aggravated with her.

"Kate, it's almost midnight. Please, just go back to bed." He said calmly, backing away from the finger and the angry face that immediately invaded his space.

"Don't talk to me like I'm one of your children Jack!" She growled.

"Stop acting like one of my children Kate!" He growled back.

"I'm not the one acting like a child Jack. It's the same with you week after week. Always pressuring me to do something I'm not ready to do. First it's the constant nagging and whining for sex, next it's the nagging and whining to spend time with you and now you want me to move in here with you! Believe it or not, the goddamn world does not revolve around Jack Shephard!" She spat angrily and immediately pulled back when she saw the hurt flash through his eyes.

"Wow…um…okay. I won't bother you anymore Kate." He said unable to hide the sadness he was feeling.

"Jack, I didn't mean..." She tried to apologize.

"No, it's fine Kate. I'm obviously suffocating you so we should take a break. The boys are looking forward to a Halloween carnival and going trick-or-treating with the girls so if you think you can stand to hang around for one more day I'd prefer we not disappoint them." He said softly.

"Jack, I don't want to take a break. I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said." She pleaded with him, her heart breaking over how badly she'd hurt him.

"Kate, people don't say things like that unless they really feel that way. I'm sorry for pushing you into a relationship you clearly don't want or need." He said, ignoring the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.

"That's not true Jack." She said softly and wiped the tears from her face.

"I think that maybe it is Kate, and again, I'm sorry for pushing so hard." He said.

"How long?" She asked.

"How long what?" He asked.

"How long of a break?" She asked.

"That's up to you Kate. I'm done whining and nagging." He answered.

"So what does this mean Jack? Are we breaking up?" She asked, her voice catching.

"Yeah, I guess we are." He sighed.

She wanted to apologize some more, to hug him and kiss him and find some way to make him believe that she didn't mean what she had said, but the damage was done and she wasn't sure if there was anything she could say to fix what she'd just broken so badly.

"I think it's best if I take my kids and go home. They'll be okay and I'll make sure they know it wasn't your fault the plans changed." She said, barely able to get the words out before she completely broke down.

He wanted to take her into his arms and comfort her, but he'd had enough. He understood she'd been used and manipulated by her ex-husband, but he was tired of having to pay for another man's poor treatment of her. She was going to have to want to be with him and want to trust him, otherwise the relationship was doomed, if it wasn't already. He watched her sitting on the other end of the couch crying and when he believed she'd cried herself out he stood and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, I'll carry Simon and Tucker to the car so you don't have to wake them." He said.

…..He could sense he was being watched and opened his eyes. A pair of big blue eyes attached to an angelic face was looking back at him, making him smile and rub his hand over her tiny frame.

"Mornin daddy." She said, crawling up closer to him and kissing him on the cheek.

"That's a nice way to wake up. Are your sisters up or is just us kiddo?" He asked.

"Nope, they're up. They're making you a surprise and I helped too." Kendall told him proudly.

"A surprise huh? Why do I get a surprise?" He asked.

"Cuz you're the best daddy in the whole world and we love you." She told him as if it was common knowledge and he was silly for asking.

"Does that mean I get a hug from the best five year old in the whole world?" He asked and felt as though he could drink her up when she wrapped her small arms around his neck and hugged him with everything she had.

He followed Kendall out to the kitchen where his two older daughters were putting the finishing touches on a breakfast of scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage and toast. The table was set for four and there was a steaming cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice waiting for him.

"This is nice girls….actually it's pretty awesome. Thanks." He said and made eye contact with Carly.

She looked at him and forced a smile even though her bottom lip was quivering before finally turning away. He walked toward her and placed his hand on the back of Jordan 's head softly.

"Sweetie can you make a plate for Kendall while I talk to your sister?" He asked, bending down and placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

With Jordan and Kendall safely on the other side of the breakfast bar he approached Carly and cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look up at him, seeing the tears spill over and hugging her into his lower chest and abdomen.

"Shh…honey it's okay." He said and slowly walked her out of the kitchen and into the hallway that led to the family room.

"It's not okay daddy. You're going to be so sad." She cried.

"How did you know?" He asked.

"Me and Kenny heard you guys fighting last night. We were hiding here in the hallway and we heard all of it. I know we weren't supposes to be listening, but we were scared because…I don't know why, but we were. Why did you have to have a fight dad?" She cried.

"Hey now, come on. I need you to calm down before you upset your sisters. Okay? Sometimes grown-ups fight and sometimes things work out and sometimes they don't, but I don't want you worrying about me Carly. As long as I've got you and your sisters, I'm always going to be happy." He told her.

"Is it going to work out dad?" She asked.

"I don't know honey. Let's just give it some time. What do you say we go eat that really great breakfast you made and then we spend the day together doing whatever you girls want to do." He offered, not willing to discuss the girl's relationship with Kate because he was relatively sure that if they didn't find their way back to each other, she wasn't going to be anything more than just her teacher in the future.

"Can we go to the mall and get my ears pierced?" She asked.

"Oh you're good kid. Catch the old man at his most vulnerable and get in a quick bid for those pierced ears you've been begging for the last two years." He teased.

"Can we daddy? Please?" She begged.

"If you promise me you will stop worrying about me and give me a big smile then I think I can be persuaded to let you punch a couple of extra holes into your head." He told her smiling when she flashed him a big smile.

…..She lay on her side, staring at the wall, her eyes swollen from crying most of the night and her stomach so twisted in knots she felt like she might get sick if she tried to get up. What she had said to him had been nothing short of cruel and she guessed she was lucky that he hadn't physically removed her from his home. How could she ever hope to regain his trust after what she'd said? She didn't mean it, not a word of it. She loved him and all of the attention he showered her with, but instead of admitting that and embracing the first good thing to come into her life relationship wise, she'd lashed out and made him feel foolish for having the gall to love her and care about her. Yes, she was feeling anxious and at times like she was suffocating, but not because of him, but because of her past mistakes. She had just decided to make him responsible for those past mistakes as incredibly unfair as that was. She guessed if she was testing him, trying to see just how possessive he might be, he'd passed the test with flying colors because he sent her packing quickly, no longer willing to be her past relationship punching bag.

She could feel the boy climbing into the bed behind her. He'd heard the fight and cried all the way home, confused and angry with himself for wanting to be angry with her. She told him it was okay to be mad at her, that she understood he was disappointed about the carnival and about not getting to spend another day with his new favorite person, but she made no promises where Jack was concerned because the reality of the situation was pretty clear. If she and Jack didn't work things out her son wouldn't be spending any more time with his new pal. He settled after awhile and came to her room asking if he could sleep with her and she'd let him. She guessed he must've gotten up early with his brothers in order to allow her to sleep in and she couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of both love for her oldest son as well as guilt for burdening him with her personal issues. She felt his hand on her arm and turned over to face him.

"Good morning." She said.

"Mom, please don't cry anymore. I'm not mad at you. It's okay if we don't get to go to the carnival because we still get to go trick-or-treating tonight right?" He said, trying to cheer her up.

"I'm okay sweetie and I'm not sad because of anything you may or may not feel." She said.

"Do you love him mom?" Kenny asked making her smile.

"What do you know about such things?" She asked and ruffled his hair.

"Nothing, I'm only eleven, but that's what grown-ups do. They fall in love and it feels good and it makes them happy. Does Jack make you happy mom?" He asked.

"He does, very much so." Kate answered honestly.

"They why did you yell at him?" Kenny asked.

"Because I'm an idiot." She sighed.

"No you're not. You're the smartest mom I know and just like you always tell me, making a mistake makes you human not an idiot." He told her.

"You're growing up too fast you know that." She said and kissed his forehead.

"Mom, please call him and tell him you love him so you won't be sad anymore." He pleaded with her.

"It's not that easy honey." She said.

"Why not?" Kenny asked.

"It's just not, but I don't want you worrying about me. As long as I've got you and your brothers I will never be sad. How about we get up and eat pancakes and spend the day together doing something fun." She suggested.

"Jimmy Taylor said they're giving away free candy and fake tattoos at the mall today. Can we go do that and then maybe go to "In-N-Out" and get burgers and shakes for lunch?" He asked.

"That sounds like an excellent plan." She said, smiling at him and ruffling his hair again.

…..Jack was sitting on a bench, focused on the carousel that held his three most precious possessions when he felt the light touch on his shoulder and looked away from the ride in the center of the mall, surprised to find Kenny standing in front of him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Jack asked and began looking for Kate and the other two boys.

"She took Simon and Tucker to the bathroom. I'm supposed to be waiting right outside the door, but I saw you." Kenny said.

"Kenny, you should probably get back. She's going to be terrified if she comes out of the bathroom and you're gone." Jack told him.

"No she won't. I stuck my head inside and told her to meet me at the bench in front of the carousel. She cried all night Jack." Kenny told him.

"I'm sorry you're mom is upset and I'm sorry that you and Carly heard all of that last night." Jack said.

"She says she's an idiot Jack. She told me she loves you and that you make her happy. Can't you please tell her you understand?" Kenny pleaded with him.

"Understand what?" Jack asked.

"That making a mistake doesn't make you an idiot, it just makes you human." Kenny said.

"I don't think your mom is an idiot Kenny or even that she made a mistake and while I appreciate that you love her so much you want to try fix this, I can't talk about this with you. Okay? This needs to stay between your mom and me." Jack explained.

He was about to respond when he was snatched by the arm and turned around to face his angry mother.

"If you ever do that again mister we will go back to me dragging you into the ladies room with me, right after I ground you for a month! Are we clear?" She scolded him loudly.

"Sorry mom. I just…." Kenny apologized, embarrassed that he was being screamed at in the middle of a crowded mall.

Jack wanted to intervene and suggest she stop humiliating the child, but he knew it wasn't his place and he understood the panic she'd felt when he took off on his own.

"Mommy! I want to ride the horseys!" Simon begged.

"I ride horseys too!" Tucker screamed.

Kate looked exhausted, like someone who really had been up crying all night and all of his instincts were screaming at him to take her into his arms and take care of her, but he was saved from possibly smothering her some more by his oldest daughter.

"I'll go with them Kate. I'm sure Jordan and Kendall wouldn't mind riding again would you girls?" Carly asked.

"Can we daddy? Please!" The girls chimed in unison.

"Sure, here, pay for everyone, my Halloween treat." Jack said and handed Carly some money.

Jack scooted down the bench so Kate could sit down and watched the six kids get in line for another carousel ride.

"You finally let Carly get her ears pierced." Kate said.

"She was so upset this morning I probably would've agreed to letting her have her nipples pierced." Jack responded dryly.

"Yeah, Kenny slept with me last night. He hasn't done that since the police took his father away." Kate said.

"You were right Kate. We never should've allowed our children to be involved in this….whatever it was we had going on." He admitted.

"No Jack, this one's all on me. You only allowed the children to be involved because you had nothing but the best of intentions. You were ready to take all of us in and love us and take care of us and I suspect you had those intentions the first night you kissed me, if not before and I just cruelly threw it all back in your face." She told him.

"Kate, please don't…" He started, but was stopped by her.

"Jack, I'm so tired and my face hurts from crying so please, just let me finish. I love you and I love every single moment that we're together and I love all of the attention you shower me and my boys with. When I said those awful things, I was angry with myself, not you. You were right when you told me you aren't David, but I have been unfairly lashing out and punishing you as though you are because somewhere deep inside my crazy brain I need to punish myself for all those years and all those stupid mistakes. It isn't about not trusting you Jack, it's about not trusting myself, but it's going to stop now. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me Jack and not just forgive me, but believe that I didn't mean it, not one single word of it?" Kate explained, her voice breaking up toward the end as fresh tears escaped down her cheeks.

His resolve wasn't strong enough to endure another round of tears. He loved her so much that seeing her so sad and so desperate was hurting him more than watching her walk away the night before had and he began to carry on a mental conversation with himself. _Okay, so she has some issues to overcome, but at least she is admitting that out loud and trying very hard to take a step toward putting her past behind her once and for all and doesn't loving someone mean that you're willing to make a journey like that? Could I forgive her? I suppose I could if I felt like she'd done anything that needed forgiveness. I am glad to hear that I really wasn't suffocating her because I'll be the first to admit that I felt very hurt and sad over the idea that I'd been smothering her with affection she didn't want. Come on Jack, do it, let her know that she's human, not an idiot._

He reached out and wiped her tears away, before pulling her in for a hug. The feeling of being wrapped up in his strong arms made her completely lose it and she broke down again, apologizing repeatedly and begging him to believe that she hadn't meant any of the things she'd said to him.

"It's going to be okay Kate. You were just upset and I understand that, I do, and I believe you when you say you didn't mean any of it. Okay? Please don't cry anymore." He spoke softly into her ear.

"Can we please be done taking a break because I don't want to take a break, I don't want to sleep alone anymore Jack. I want the key, but if you don't want to give it to me anymore, if you want to make me earn it, I'll understand." She said, her face buried in his neck.

He pulled her away from his neck and made her look at him.

"Make you earn it? Kate, I love you and I want you and your sons with me and my girls, but only if that is what you want too. We're in this together. Nobody has to earn anything. We had a really bad fight and as unpleasant as it was to hear those things from you, maybe it was something you needed to let go of in order to move forward, but Kate I promise you that if you're not ready to make this move I can wait. I could wait yesterday and I can still wait today. That hasn't changed. We will figure out a way to spend time together if you're not ready to do this." He said.

"No, I want to do this Jack. I just spent the most miserable night of my life getting a taste of what it would be like to not have you in my life and it sucked. My heart was broken." She admitted.

"So was mine." He admitted.

"It wasn't just our hearts that were broken Jack. My son was devastated and not because he was going to miss out on a Halloween carnival. You are so good to my boys and you are so good with them and they need you in their lives as much as I do." She told him, calming down and the tears disappearing.

"Yeah Carly was pretty devastated this morning too. They really love you, you know and I know Jordan is a bit stand offish, but if you could've seen how concerned she was with finding the perfect birthday gift for you, you'd see how much you're starting to matter to her." He explained, relaxing back into the bench and pulling her back into chest, his arm wrapped securely around her.

"Jordan is a beautiful child Jack and if I can help draw her out of the protective cocoon she's wrapped herself in I want to do that." Kate told him.

"I'm sorry last night happened." He said.

"I'm not. It woke me up. Do you think you might still want some company for the carnival and trick-or-treat tonight?" She asked.

"We'd love it. What time can we expect you?" He asked.

"Well, I was thinking we might come home with you now. Tucker needs a nap and so does his mom. I thought maybe we could bribe Carly and Kenny into keeping an eye on the other three while you and I make up and then take a nap." She offered in a sexy tone, sitting up and turning to face him so she could lock him up in a breathtaking make-up kiss.

Carly and Kenny were standing in the long line with the younger kids and were watching their parents kissing as if they were the only two people in the mall.

"We did it, we got them back together." Carly said happily.

"This mall idea was awesome Carly. I can't believe we did it." Kenny replied just as happily.

"Sorry you had to get screamed at in front of everyone." Carly said.

"It's okay. It was worth it. Do you think my mom is going to move in with your dad?" Kenny asked.

"I don't know. Would you like that? Living with us?" Carly asked.

"Carly do you think my dad is in prison? Do you think that's why he's never coming back?" Kenny asked.

"I don't know Kenny, maybe." Carly said.

"If he is, he must've done something really bad." Kenny sighed.

"What's he like? Is he nice?" Carly asked.

"Sometimes he was when he was home, but he didn't play with us, not like your dad plays with you guys. Was your mom nice?" Kenny asked.

"She was nice, but she yelled at my dad all the time and she never let us dress the way he lets us dress. I bet your mom would never make her little girls wear dresses all the time or freak out if they got dirty." Carly said.

"Would you like it Carly?" Kenny asked.

"Like what?" Carly asked.

"If we lived with you." Kenny answered.

"It's a lot of people and we'd probably get on each other's nerves sometimes, but it could be fun too. We could pick on the younger kids and not feel so guilty about it because there are more of them than there are us and when we go to Disneyland we wouldn't get stuck riding the baby rides all day because we'd have each other to ride the really cool rides with." Carly explained laughing lightly.

"You really think we might go to Disneyland some day?" Kenny asked excitedly.

"You've never been?" Carly asked.

"No, my mom says it costs too much. Finally! It's our turn to get on this thing." Kenny said and escorted his two younger brothers onto the carousel, the plotting of their parent's future forgotten for the moment.

She sucked in her breath and bit her bottom lip doing her best to be quiet as his mouth began it's slow, sensuous assault on her. He'd been pleased that she'd asked to come home with him and after carrying a soundly sleeping Tucker into one of the empty bedrooms he escorted Kate into his bedroom and closed the door. They stripped down to their underwear and met in the center of the bed. She was so exhausted she'd fallen asleep within seconds and he followed behind her a few minutes later, but two hours later he'd awoken to her mouth trailing kisses over his upper chest, shoulders and neck, fairly certain she'd marked him.

He'd made short work of her bra and panties and was currently making a meal out of her, his face buried between her legs and doing things to her she'd never realized a man could do with his mouth. He licked and sucked slowly and she felt the warmth building and finally spreading throughout her entire pelvic region just prior to the intensity of the orgasm hitting her fully and causing her to cry out softly as he continued to lick the sensitive nub gently.

He moved up her body, positioned himself at her entrance and pushed in slowly, holding his position and kissing her passionately. He continued to kiss her and began to thrust slowly in and out, breaking the kiss so that both of them could moan together, the feeling of being connected like this seeming to be heightened by the fight they'd had and the need to prove to one another how real the love was.

He continued to make love to her slowly and patiently and with all the love he could pour into the act, having brought her to two more orgasms before turning them onto their sides and slowing down even further, the need to stay inside of her and love her more urgent than his need for release. Their hot and slightly sweaty chests were pressed together as he slowly thrust back in, holding it for a moment and then pulling back so he could thrust in again, attempting to drive a little deeper each time even though he was already burying every bit of himself with each prior thrust.

"That feels so good. Promise me we can do this every single day once we're under the same roof." She said, making him chuckle lightly.

"I promise, but I won't hold you to your end of the bargain when those dreaded headaches women get attack." He said sweetly and thrust up into her again, harder, letting go of a grunt as he did so.

"I love you so much Jack and I will do my best to steer clear of the headaches. Come for me baby. Fill me up." She panted and kissed him hungrily, another orgasm ripping through her.

He felt her tighten around him and that was it for him, he literally exploded and her walls clamped down and milked him dry as he tried to regain the ability to think and breathe again or was that breathe without thinking. He wasn't sure, he was only sure that he'd never experienced anything quite like it before.

They lay in each other's arms for a bit, both reeling from the experience and neither in a hurry to move. He started to pull away and she stopped him.

"No, don't. Not yet. Stay inside me for a little longer." She said.

"You know I'm not going anywhere right?" He asked and kissed the tip of her nose.

"I almost chased away the only man who has ever truly loved me. I may be needy for awhile." She told him, making him smile.

"Somehow I don't see you as ever being needy, but anytime you feel like you want to get naked and lay together I'm so there baby." He said and kissed her.

"So how'd you bribe Kenny and Carly into watching the kids for us?" Kate asked.

"I told them we'd keep the four younger kids with us while the two of them enjoyed the carnival without us and don't worry, they'll be safe. It's not so large we can't keep an eye on them, plus I have neighbors that will watch out for them too." He told her and reluctantly slipped out of her.

He rolled onto his back and she snuggled up next to him, laying her head over his heart.

"How does Thanksgiving weekend sound?" She asked.

"How does Thanksgiving weekend sound for what?" He asked.

"It's a long weekend. I thought while everyone was out shopping on Friday, we could move me and boys in." She said.

"Sure, if that's what you want." He said.

"It's what I want. It's what we both want right?" She asked.

"Yes." He answered.

"Can I ask you something Jack?" She asked.

"Anything." He said.

"How come this house has five bedrooms and you only occupy two of them?" She asked.

"After Jennifer died Carly wanted Jordan with her and Kendall slept with me until she was three. Carly finally managed to lure her out of my bed by offering to let her move in with her and Jordan and it's been that way since. I figure Carly will grow tired of it pretty soon, but for now, it's kind of nice." He said.

"Well, my boys are used to being together too, so I guess we really are going to look like the modern day Brady Bunch." She giggled.

"Does that mean that one day Carly and Kenny are going to battle for the attic bedroom?" He chuckled.

"You have a bedroom in your attic?" Kate asked.

"No, but we can build one if we want to keep the Brady Bunch theme going." He teased, rolling her onto her back and kissing her passionately.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Sorry for the delay! Had to travel for work! Thanks for all of the nice reviews and I'll try to be more timely with the next chapter!**_

He wasn't sure whether or not he was still asleep and dreaming or if the wet tongue enveloping his left nipple was real, but he was sure that asleep or awake, there was no way he could go again and he rubbed a gentle hand over her naked back. He was awake and apparently so was she, in more ways than one.

"Are you trying to kill me?" He whispered softly and encouraged her to stop making a meal out of his chest.

She slowly slithered her warm, soft naked body over his as she made her way up to his mouth and kissed him.

"It's Thanksgiving. I'm feasting." She told him and smiled.

"It's six o'clock in the morning Kate and we've been feasting all night. Are you seriously not full yet?" He protested playfully and flinched slightly as her hand brushed over his exhausted little friend, that particular part of his anatomy literally attempting to shrink away from her touches.

"It's okay baby, I'm too sore to go another round. I just like watching you squirm." She giggled.

"Squirm? I think I might need an IV." He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, holding her snug against his body.

"Last night was incredible Jack." She sighed happily and let her head rest comfortably on his shoulder, her warm breath tickling his neck.

"It was and the best part was that we didn't have the knowledge that you'd be going home today and we wouldn't see each other for a few days hanging over us. You're home and tomorrow we'll get all of your stuff and make it official." He sighed just as happily.

"But first we have to get through today. I should probably get up and get the turkey ready to go into the oven." She said through a long yawn.

"I wish you'd let me help you with the meal Kate." He said.

"I want to do it by myself Jack. It's our first Thanksgiving together and I want to absolutely blow your mind." She said.

"You blow my mind every day Kate, you don't need to be Martha Stewart too. We should prepare the meal together and get the kids involved." He argued.

"While that would make a lovely Currier and Ives print Jack, it would no doubt be a disaster. It's too many cooks in the kitchen." She countered.

"Kate, I feel terrible about running off to play in the park with the kids and leaving you here to handle that big meal all by yourself. I don't ever want you to feel like you need to do things like that for me or like I shouldn't be expected to pitch in and help." He explained.

"Jack, this will the first time that I will get to make Thanksgiving dinner for a man that I love and who loves me and even though we aren't a family, for the first time it's going to feel like I'm preparing a dinner for a family and like my boys are going to get to experience what that feels like and I want to cherish every moment of it. You can help with Christmas dinner, I promise." She said.

"David never…..I mean he didn't…." Jack stumbled, not quite sure how to ask the question.

"No, he never spent any holidays with us. He said it was his time off from school and the he was going to spend it hunting and he'd disappear the entire time. I'm not sure why Kenny thinks he misses the son-of-a-bitch so much because he certainly never spent any time with his sons." Kate spat angrily.

"I'm sorry Kate, I didn't mean to stir up bad memories. I promise to stay out of the kitchen and keep the kids occupied while you make dinner for us. Do you think we got a big enough turkey?" He asked.

"It's 25 pounds Jack." She said.

"Well, that's enough for me, but what is the rest of the family going to eat?" He teased, making her look up at him and smile.

"You called us a family." She said.

"Well, we are all living under the same roof and it's what we both want so why not call it what it is. You know when I invited Candice for dinner she told me she didn't want to intrude on our first Thanksgiving as a family, so we aren't crazy Kate, we really are slowly, but surely becoming a family." He told her.

"Did you insist that Candice join us? We can't have this dinner without her." Kate said.

"I told her that's exactly what you'd say and she said she'd be here at 4 PM sharp and she's bringing a new dessert for us to try." Jack said.

She scooted in closer and captured his mouth with hers, drawing him into a deep, passionate kiss that steadily grew into more as he finally rolled her onto her back and broke the kiss, looking deeply into her eyes.

"You're sore and I've got nothing left in my tank. How about we meet back here later and I'll see if I can't come up with a pleasing way to ease that soreness." He said softly and gave her quick kiss.

"How about we go soak the soreness away in the Jacuzzi and we'll meet back here later to make me sore all over again." She suggested, almost growling and so sweet and sexy at the same time he wondered if it was possible to love her any more than he already did.

He sat on the park bench doing his best to keep track of all six children. They'd brought the boy's bikes over to the house with them the night before and Jack had loaded the four bigger kids' bikes into the SUV so they could ride them along the paths of the park without fear of cars coming out of nowhere to injure them. Kendall and Tucker were content to play in the sand boxes and on the swings and teeter-totters. He'd been watching the two of them build quite an impressive little city in the sand while their tiny hands maneuvered the small matchbox cars through all the little roads and tunnels they'd built. They pretty much had the park to themselves and the day couldn't have been any more perfect weather wise. Jack had packed plenty of drinks and snacks to keep the kids out until it was time to go home, get them bathed and dressed for dinner.

Jordan, who had been moping around and slowly building to a meltdown of epic proportions approached the bench and crawled into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and she let the side of her head rest comfortably on the spot on his chest just below his shoulder and collar bone and he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"What's the matter Jordy?" He asked in his kindest, calmest daddy voice.

"Nothing." She sighed heavily.

"You know if you don't talk to me, I can't help you and I want to help baby. I don't like seeing you so upset and feeling like you can't talk about it. You can tell me anything. Plus, if you talk about it now and stop feeling so upset you probably won't have a meltdown later that's going to force daddy to be stern with you." He coaxed.

"I don't remember my mom." She said sadly.

"Honey, you were very small when mom died. It's okay if you don't remember her." He said.

"I only remember the scary pictures in my head. I don't like those pictures daddy. Why won't they go away so I can remember the happy pictures?" She asked.

"Those pictures will probably always be with you Jordy, but they're only scary if you let them be. Mommy wasn't a monster, she was cut and she was hurt and I know that blood can be scary to look at, but underneath all that scary stuff was your mommy and she loved you very much and would never want to be scary to you. I haven't seen her picture by your bed lately. Being able to kiss mommy goodnight every night used to help you remember the happy pictures. Why did you put the picture away Jordan?" He asked.

"Because you love Kate now and she's going to live with us so mommy can't anymore." Jordan said.

"Jordan , my feelings for Kate have nothing to do with how you should or shouldn't feel about your mom." Jack said.

"It's all changing daddy and I have to change too." She said, the tears just below the surface.

"No honey, you don't need to change and you don't need to hide your picture of your mom. I gave that to you so she could always be with you and so you could remember her. I don't want you to forget her and neither does Kate." Jack explained, feeling warm tears begin to soak the front of his shirt, the meltdown sure to follow any second.

"Carly said I had to. They said I was a freak and that I needed to stop making everyone miserable. What's miserable daddy?" Jordan cried, but surprisingly didn't become hysterical and out of control which worried him even more because his little girl was just flat out devastated and sad.

Finally, everything the child had admitted to him sank in and he suddenly felt very angry.

"Wait a minute. They? Who said you were a freak and that you were making everyone miserable?" Jack asked doing his best to keep his voice calm.

"Kenny and Carly. They said I'm going to ruin everything for everyone because I'm a freak that throws fits and that I need to forget about mommy and stop making everybody miserable. I'm sorry daddy. I don't mean to get so upset I ruin stuff. I try to stop, but I can't." She told him, holding onto a handful of his shirt as if it were the only thing keeping her together at the moment.

"Jordy they didn't mean it. They were upset and said some mean things they shouldn't have, but please believe daddy when he tells you that you are not a freak and that you don't ruin anything for anyone. I know you can't help how upset you get sometimes, but it's getting better as you get older honey and it will continue to get better. I promise." He spoke softly to her, cradling her in his arms and rocking her gently, so angry at his oldest daughter and Kenny that he could spit nails.

He sat on the bench watching the two youngest children play while holding his daughter and waiting for her to calm herself down. She'd gone quiet and completely still and he thought that maybe she'd fallen asleep. He glanced down and found her staring back at him, startling him at first until she moved to sit up fully.

"Do you feel a little better?" He asked.

"Yes, but can I sit with you some more?" She asked.

"You can sit with me as long as you want. Look how dirty your sister is." He said and laughed lightly.

"She's not taking a bath with me." Jordan said.

"Maybe we should take her to the car wash and hose her off." Jack teased, making Jordan giggle.

Simon approached on his bike. He set it down and walked the extra 15 feet to the park bench. He could tell that Jordan had been crying.

"What's the matter Jordan? Did you wreck your bike?" Simon asked.

"No, I'm okay. Want to go play on the swings?" She asked.

"Yeah, but we can't go on the wooden swings. Kenny and Carly said we had to play over here with the other babies." Simon told her.

"That's okay. I don't like the wooden swings anyway. The little kids fall off them too easy. Daddy can we take Kendall and Tucker to the swings with us?" Jordan asked.

"Sure, if they'll go. They seem pretty happy in the sandbox." Jack said.

He watched Simon and Jordan take the hands of the younger children and walk them up the hill to the swings. What Carly and Kenny had said to Simon was fairly typical older sibling brushing off younger sibling behavior and he probably would've blown it off had he not already been so angry over what they'd done to Jordan . He couldn't believe his daughter had said something that mean to her sister and he didn't like the idea that the two of them together became something neither one of them would dream of being alone. He put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. Carly recognized the whistle immediately as the one that meant her father was requesting her presence and she and Kenny slowly made their way over to him.

"I want you two to collect all the little cars and the sand buckets and help me load all of this stuff into the SUV." He said calmly.

"Are we leaving?" Carly asked.

"In a bit." He said and began collecting the bicycles and loading them into the SUV.

"He looks upset Carly." Kenny whispered.

"Yeah. We should probably just do what he asks or our whole long weekend could be ruined." Carly said and made her way over to the sandbox.

Kenny followed her to the sandbox and began helping her dump the sand out of all the little cars and put them into the buckets.

"Jack's not mean. He wouldn't ruin our whole weekend." Kenny said.

"No, he's not mean, but when he means business he means business and trust me Kenny, he means business so we shouldn't argue with him right now." Carly warned him, knowing she'd done something to upset her father, but wasn't quite sure what it was he actually knew about.

They finished collecting all of the toys from the sandbox and took them to Jack who was loading the last bicycle into the SUV.

"Can we go swing with them dad?" Carly asked.

"No, I don't think so. Apparently those swings are for babies and since neither one of you qualify as a baby, I guess you should probably just go sit on the park bench until the others are ready to go home." Jack said never breaking eye contact with his daughter.

Carly started to argue, but caught the look that let her know it wasn't in her best interest to do so and slowly turned away from him.

"Come on Kenny. He's just upset because of what we said to Simon. Let's go sit on the bench like he says and everything will be fine." She mumbled as she tugged him along with her.

"Kate, everything smells so good. I'm glad you let me come and help. This is the first time in a long time I haven't had a family to cook dinner for on Thanksgiving and I didn't quite know what to do with myself." Candice told her as they sat together at the breakfast bar enjoying a glass of wine.

"I'm glad you came. I definitely bit off more than I could chew, but after I practically threw Jack out of his own house I couldn't really admit that I did need some help." She said.

"You should've let him help. He's a good cook." Candice said.

"That's funny. Somehow I always pictured you as being the one feeding him and his daughters." Kate said and smiled.

"Oh I have, especially when he's having a bad week at the hospital. I hated the idea of him coming home at eleven o'clock at night and making do with a cold bologna sandwich before bed so I'd always make him a plate of whatever I cooked for the girls and leave it in the refrigerator for him." Candice said.

"Aw, that's sweet. I bet it helped him get used to not having Jennifer around too." Kate suggested.

"Please. Jennifer was fine with him making do with whatever he could scrounge up late at night. She didn't cook and she certainly didn't cook for him. If there were groceries in the house it was because Jack went out and bought them." Candice said.

"Jack mentioned that she didn't like the hours he kept, but I assumed she was otherwise a decent wife and mother." Kate said.

"You know Kate, I'm not normally one to speak ill of the dead, but Jennifer was anything but a decent wife and mother. Don't get me wrong, she loved those little girls in her own, weird way, but Jennifer wanted to live in some fairy tale where she got to live like a princess. She never appreciated the kind, decent man she was married to, but oh lord did she love to brag about her successful surgeon husband to all her haughty friends at the country club." Candice explained.

"So I guess she wasn't one to pull together a nice family Thanksgiving dinner huh?" Kate asked.

"No. Never. She insisted they eat out because she couldn't deal with the stress of planning and preparing a big meal, even though it would've been Jack doing the planning and preparing. He was still a bit of a mess his first Thanksgiving alone with the girls so I had them over to my house with my family, but the next year he made the dinner for his girls and I joined them for dessert after I had fed my family." Candice explained.

"So this is his first home cooked Thanksgiving with the woman he…um, want some more wine?" Kate asked.

"I better not, not on an empty stomach. What's wrong dear?" Candice asked, noticing that she seemed distracted or maybe even a little sad all of the sudden.

"It's nothing. Jack really wanted us to prepare the meal together. I thought he was just being considerate. I had no idea that it might actually be something that was important to him. I feel like I cheated him out of something he can never get back." Kate said sadly as tears threatened to spill over.

"Oh honey, don't be silly. I think just having all of you here with him is what is important to him. You know I've only seen Jack as happy as he is now on three other occasions and that was when he'd show up at my front door with a big pink cigar and a picture of his newest baby." Candice told her.

Kate smiled as she imagined Jack in that situation, knowing that he was the type that was there for every minute of it, good and bad. David hadn't ever bragged to anyone about his sons and certainly never ran next door to happily share the news with one of their neighbors.

"Jack's a good man. It's hard to imagine how any woman could've made things so difficult for him." Kate said.

"Well, sometimes really good people end up with people they don't deserve in their life." Candice said.

"That's true." Kate sighed.

"None of that matters Kate. The only thing that matters is that the two of you found each other because you deserve a good man as much as he deserves a good woman and I get three more pseudo grandchildren out of the deal." Candice said and laughed lightly.

"I know you're joking, but the kids love you and they don't have any grandparents, so it's nice that you enjoy having them around. You're a very brave and patient woman Candice." Kate said and smiled at her.

"I have a whole slew of activities planned for tomorrow that should keep them out of your hair while you and Jack get things moved in." Candice said.

"We appreciate that and we owe you so please don't hesitate to collect on the debt. Anything you need, you got it." Kate offered.

"Good because I need a favor. I need the two of you to not be upset that I can't stay for dinner." Candice said.

"Did you get a better offer?" Kate teased.

"Not a better offer, just one that I think I'd like to pursue. I think Jack has gotten used to having me around on the holidays and he's so happy right now that I didn't want to burst his bubble, but I met this gentleman a couple of weeks ago and he invited me to have Thanksgiving dinner with him…on his yacht." She told Kate.

"Well you definitely have to do that and I want all the details the next time I see you. Jack will be fine. He just knew your kids weren't coming home and wanted to make sure you wouldn't be alone on Thanksgiving." Kate said.

Jack decided not to lower the boom on Carly and Kenny. He didn't want the dinner to be spoiled for them or for Kate and he also knew it wasn't his place to lower the boom on Kenny about anything. He determined that it would be best if he talked it over with Kate and they decided together what they should do about the hurtful things they said to Jordan . Maybe he was over-reacting and Kate would help him see that. He wasn't sure, but he was sure that if they were going to make this family work, they had to be able to agree as much as possible when it came to anything concerning the kids.

He collected all six children, secured them safely in the SUV and made the drive home, the kids all happily chatting back and forth. As he'd steal glances at them in his rear view mirror it made him smile and glad that he hadn't ruined their first Thanksgiving together by losing his temper with Carly and Kenny.

The dinner went off without a hitch and everything was delicious. They sent the children off to play and cleaned up the dishes together. Even though he'd done a pretty good job of disguising it, Kate could tell that something was on his mind so with two fresh hot cups of coffee in their hands she led him into the formal living room and they sat down on the sofa. It was a quiet, kid-free room and they needed a moment of quiet. He leaned in and kissed her.

"Dinner was fabulous." He said and kissed her again.

"What's wrong Jack?" She asked.

"What makes you think anything is wrong?" He asked.

"I can tell. You're trying to hide it, but something is bothering you. Did something happen with the kids today?" She asked.

After some additional prodding he finally relayed the conversation he'd had with his eight year old and he guessed by the fire in her eyes that he hadn't just been over-reacting.

"Did you punish them?" She asked.

"No, I haven't done anything yet. I didn't want to spoil the dinner and I wanted to talk it over with you first. Kenny's not mine to punish and I thought that maybe I was just being overly sensitive. I mean, my little girl was literally breaking my heart, so perhaps that might've been clouding my judgment, but I guess it wasn't. It was pretty mean wasn't it?" He asked.

"It was definitely mean-spirited. I can't believe my son did that." She said.

"I can't believe Carly did it either. It was definitely out of character. Do you suppose they are a bad influence on each other?" Jack asked.

"I think that two kids plotting together will always be more defiant, not to mention stupid, then they would be if left on their own, but that's not a good excuse Jack. They have to be punished. Poor Jordan . It makes me so sad to think about her adding that kind of confusion and guilt to her already fragile emotional state. My son is very lucky that I don't believe in corporal punishment." Kate grumbled.

"I agree that's not a good idea. I did make them sit and watch the other kids play for being mean to Simon. I know that older siblings will say that kind of thing to the younger ones, but I was kind of fed up with them at that point and needed to let them know I wasn't happy with them." Jack told her.

"You handled it better than I would've. What are we going to do about what they did to Jordan? Should we talk to them together or separately and how should we punish them?" She asked.

"I think we should do it together. They committed the crime together." He said.

"I'll go and get them." Kate said and left the room.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Thank you for the reviews! I think that perhaps this is getting too gooey. I may have to dig up some serious angst…or not. ; )**_

Jack had relaxed back into the couch waiting for Kate to return with the two kids, no longer angry over what they'd done but determined to make sure they were punished for what they'd done. He heard the shuffling of feet and looked toward the opening to the room. Kenny was standing just inside looking a bit timid. On second glance, he realized the boy was scared to death and Jack felt his resolve begin to crumble. It would've been so much easier if the boy had entered the room full of attitude, but as it was, he was just a scared young boy who'd been moved from his home into the home of a man he'd formed a bond of sorts with, but who he apparently feared on some level.

"Where's your mom?" Jack asked in a calm, non-threatening voice.

"She…..she…..um…went to find Carly." Kenny answered so close to tears he was having trouble getting the words out.

"Hey, come here." Jack said in a kind voice.

Kenny slowly made his way over to where Jack was sitting, hands at his sides and nervously gripping at the legs of his blue jeans. Jack reached out, settled the boy's nervous hands and gently led him down until he was sitting on the coffee table in front of him. He let go of the boy's hands and leaned down so they were eye to eye.

"Are you afraid of me?" Jack asked, maintaining the kind tone.

"No." Kenny mumbled.

"Then what's the matter? Did your mom say something to you?" He asked.

"She said I was in trouble and to come in here." Kenny said, his bottom lip quivering as he fought hard against the tears that were threatening.

"Do you know why you're in trouble?" Jack asked.

"No." Kenny said.

"No idea at all? Have you and Carly done anything lately that you think your mom and I might not approve of?" Jack asked.

Meanwhile…..

Kate knocked on the bathroom door and waited patiently for it to open. Carly finally appeared and invited her inside.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked.

"I was going to brush my teeth and put on some comfortable clothes. What's up?" Carly asked.

"Jordan was very upset today and your father and I want to talk to you and Kenny about it." Kate said.

"He doesn't want to talk to me, he wants to punish me because he always takes their side. Tell him he can come find me himself." Carly spat hatefully.

"Excuse me?" Kate said, a little shocked by Carly's current behavior.

"I guess you took her side too." Carly sighed.

"Are we upset that you and Kenny said those awful things to Jordan? Yes we are. Have we decided to convict you without hearing your side of the story? No. What's going on with you Carly?" Kate asked.

"Nothing. Let's go get this over with. I guess my whole weekend is ruined now." She huffed and tried to push past Kate.

"Your dad is pretty unhappy about this and if you go in there with this attitude I can almost guarantee your weekend is going to be ruined and possibly the weekend after that." Kate warned.

"Whatever." Carly said and walked out of the bathroom with Kate right behind her.

Carly and Kate walked into the entry way to the formal living room just as Jack asked Kenny if he and Carly had done anything bad lately.

"It was my fault dad. Kenny just went along with it. I should've known Jordan would be a big crybaby and run right to you." Carly announced from the doorway, full of attitude with just a hint of an angry fear below the surface.

"No. I did it too mom. It wasn't just Carly." Kenny admitted.

"Come over here and sit down." Jack said to Carly as Kate had already joined him on the couch.

Carly looked at him defiantly and didn't budge.

"Now!" He said loudly and so sternly, Kenny finally lost control of his tears.

"I'm sorry. We just didn't want you guys to…." Kenny began to explain but was cut off by Carly.

"Shut up Kenny!" Carly hissed, punching him on the upper arm as she took her place beside him on the coffee table.

"You are about to be in so much trouble so if I were you, I'd find a way to chill out and quickly." Jack told her.

"You didn't want us to what honey?" Kate asked, not used to seeing her son this upset.

Kenny looked at Carly and then at his mother and then at Jack.

"We didn't want you guys to break up. You can ground me for ten years and take away all of my video games, just please don't hate me Jack." Kenny cried.

Jack and Kate looked at each other, both realizing that there was so much more going on than two kids ganging up on a younger sibling. Jack and Kenny had become pretty good buddies over time, but he'd never shown any kind of real affection to any of the boys because he wasn't sure whether or not they would be receptive to it. He reached out, pulled Kenny to his feet and pulled him in for a hug, a little surprised when the boy eagerly wrapped his arms around his neck and hugged him back, so tightly Jack had to pull back a little to keep from getting choked.

"I could never hate you Kenny, no matter what. You made a mistake, but it's not the end of the world." Jack spoke softly to the boy.

"And you won't leave us?" Kenny asked.

Jack pulled the boy back so he could look at him.

"Are you going to leave me when I make mistakes?" Jack asked.

"It's not the same thing Jack and you know it." Kenny said.

"He's right dad. It's not the same. Grown-ups can leave. Kids can't." Carly said, the attitude replaced with a resigned sadness.

"And you thought if Jordan kept having her meltdowns and refusing to warm up to me that I would get frustrated and leave didn't you?" Kate asked Carly.

"I don't want you to leave Kate. You can even tell the kids at school you're my dad's girlfriend if you want." Carly told her as her eyes began to fill with tears.

"Honey, I'm not going to leave. Your dad and I, we love each other and we want to be together." Kate told her.

"But do you want us?" Carly asked.

"If I didn't I wouldn't be here, and your dad wouldn't have me here if he didn't want the boys too. You kids are part of the reason we decided to move in together. We wanted to be able to spend more time with you guys." Kate told her.

"Look guys, we know that this is going to be an adjustment for everyone and we never expected that bringing two families together was going to be easy, but we aren't going to split up and go our separate ways every time things get difficult. We wouldn't be doing this if we weren't ready to commit to making this a family." Jack said.

"Mom left when things got difficult." Carly said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Kate took hold of Carly's hands.

"Look at me Carly." Kate said.

The child looked up, the tears spilling over freely now.

"I'm so happy Carly and I love being with your dad and you girls and I don't care how difficult things get, I'm not going anywhere. I promise." Kate told her and pulled her in for a hug, getting the same eager, almost needy response Jack had gotten from Kenny.

"I'm sorry I was so hateful earlier." Carly said and pulled away from her, looking at her father with so much need he didn't need to be asked, he simply pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her.

"Don't be mad at Kenny dad. It was my fault. I don't want her picture in our room anymore. She just left us daddy and it was so scary and Jordan 's never been the same since. I'm so mad at her and I don't want to pretend I'm not anymore. I just want her to go away for good." Carly cried.

Kate had pulled Kenny into her lap and they watched and listened to Carly's admission. And even though both children were probably too big to be sitting in their parent's lap crying, they were both at the moment the age that they were when their mother and father had left them behind and were feeling torn and scared and angry about the possibility of loving a new parental figure and being hurt all over again.

"Carly, I can't tell you how to feel about your mom, but whatever you feel, you just need to feel it and not pretend. How you feel about her and what happened is probably going to change over the years and that's okay too. It's not okay however to tell your sister how to feel because just like you, she needs to figure those things out for herself and if she needs to keep her mother with her today, then you need to allow her to do that." Jack told her.

"Kenny doesn't have pictures of his dad and Simon and Tucker don't even know they had a dad." Carly reasoned in her unintentionally crude 12 year old manner.

"Sweetheart, it is two completely different situations." Kate said.

"It's only different for Jordan . If she didn't have that picture we could be a brand new family. I bet my dad wouldn't like it if there were pictures of your old husband all over the place." Carly said.

"Did you get rid of all the other pictures?" Jack asked her.

"Yes. I threw them in the trash where they belong." Carly said.

"Carly, those pictures don't bother me and I'm sure if it were important to the boys your dad wouldn't mind if there were pictures of their father around." Kate said.

"She's right. I wouldn't care. When we decided to do this Carly, we knew that we would always have to consider the feelings of six other people and things will no doubt get bumpy and we'll probably even fight sometimes, but we wouldn't be doing this if we weren't planning on staying together and making it work. We wouldn't disrupt the lives of six children if we weren't sure." Jack explained, probably realizing for the first time just how sure about the relationship he was.

He looked over at Kate and she smiled at him and nodded in agreement.

"So we get to live here forever and you'll come home and eat supper and help me with my homework?" Kenny asked.

"He doesn't get to eat supper with us all the time because he has to work really late sometimes and if you ask him for help with your homework he'll only help you figure it out, he won't do it for you." Carly told Kenny making both Kate and Jack hold back a laugh.

"I think you two need to go apologize to Jordan, spend some quality time playing with her this evening and help her find the picture of her mom she keeps beside her bed." Kate said.

"How long am I grounded for dad?" Carly asked.

"I don't know. What do you think Kate?" Jack asked.

"I think they were upset about things that had nothing to with Jordan, but I also think it was wrong for them to have taken it out on a little girl and need to understand that." Kate said.

"I agree, so instead of spending tomorrow doing things with Candice, I think you two will be helping us move." Jack said.

"And we won't be grounded?" Kenny asked.

"No, if you work hard tomorrow and don't whine about being tired or bored then that will be your punishment, but you do have to go apologize to Jordan and all that other stuff I said." Kate said.

"Come on Kenny, let's go find Jordan." Carly said and the two exited the room before their parents had a chance to change their minds.

"You do realize that really wasn't a punishment don't you?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, but I think it'll be good for them to spend the day with us." Jack said.

"I agree." She said and moved in beside him.

He put his arm around her and hugged her close.

"Do you think we're making our kids neurotic?" He asked.

"I think our kids have been handed a rotten deal Jack and that has made them sensitive to things we hadn't considered. It makes sense though. The other kids are too young to remember, but Carly and Kenny both have abandonment issues so why wouldn't they be afraid that the new adult coming into their life was going to leave and try to make everything perfect so that wouldn't happen." Kate said and turned to face him.

"Do you think if we'd gotten married before we did this they'd be a little less scared?" He asked.

"No, I think this is one of those situations where the trust is going to have to be earned and I'm ready to earn their trust. How about you?" She asked and kissed him softly.

"Definitely." He breathed and deepened the kiss, laying her back onto the couch and intensifying the kissing and the touching.

"Jack, we aren't having sex on this couch." Kate giggled as she pushed his hands away from the snap on her jeans.

"We could, we'd have to wait until the middle of the night when everyone is sound asleep, but we could." He teased and moved his hand inside her shirt, keeping her pinned beneath him and nibbling on her neck.

"Stop sqwooshing mommy!" The small voice demanded while the tiny hands pushed with all their might against his upper arm.

"You've been busted buddy." Kate laughed and pushed gently at his chest.

Jack turned to look at the toddler who was fiercely defending his mother and before the small boy had a chance to react, Jack was up on his feet, sweeping the child up into the air and holding him above his head.

"How about I sqwoosh you instead?" Jack asked.

"No! Don't! I gotta go potty!" Tucker squealed through his laughter.

Jack set him down and Kate sat up.

"You know where the potty is Tucker." Kate said.

"It's too dark to get there." Tucker whined, holding himself and bouncing from one foot to the next.

Kate and Jack both looked at each other, unsure what the child was talking about.

"Maybe the hallway is too dark?" Jack asked.

"Probably. Come on buddy, mommy will go with you." Kate said, taking the child's hand and walking out of the room.

As Kate was exiting the bathroom with Tucker she spied Jordan in her bedroom and she could tell she was hiding something underneath the mattress. She walked Tucker to the family room to be with the other children and made her way back to the bedroom where Jordan was. She stood in the doorway watching the little girl move the stuffed toys on her bed to positions she apparently had plotted out in her head and she didn't notice Jack coming up behind her. He stopped a few feet away and observed their interaction.

"Is everything okay Jordan?" Kate asked startling the little girl.

"You scared me!" Jordan accused.

"I'm sorry honey, I thought you heard me. What are you doing?" Kate asked.

"I'm tired and my tummy hurts." Jordan said quietly.

"Do you want me to get your dad?" Kate asked.

"He's coming. He went to get me some milk and he's going to read to me." Jordan said and crawled onto her bed.

"That sounds nice. What's he going to read to you?" Kate asked and moved in beside the bed.

"Curious George. The one where he eats the puzzle piece and has to get a operation. It's my favorite. It's just us though, me and daddy." Jordan said.

"Of course. I just wanted to tell you goodnight and ask you about this." Kate said as she reached between the mattresses and pulled out the small picture frame that held a picture of the girls' mother.

"Put it back Kate!" Jordan demanded.

"Why are you hiding it honey?" Kate asked.

"I'm not! The picture makes the bad pictures go away, but it makes Carly upset so I will only pull it out before I got to bed to keep away the bad pictures." Jordan explained, calming down and no longer yelling at her, but making it clear she wanted Kate to butt out.

Jack had taken a spot in the hallway where it turned toward the two back bedrooms and was listening intently, not liking the tone Jordan had taken with Kate, but deciding to stay out of it and let Kate handle it.

"You don't have to do that Jordan. She's your mom and you don't have to hide her from anyone." Kate said.

"It's not your business Kate." Jordan huffed.

"No, I suppose it's not, but I know you're upset and confused about this picture and I want to help if I can." Kate said.

"Why?" Jordan asked.

"Because I care about you." Kate said.

"My tummy really hurts. I don't want to talk." Jordan said.

"Okay, we don't have to. Do you want me to put the picture back under the mattress?" Kate asked.

"I don't want to be a freak and ruin things so you have to put it back." Jordan told her.

"Oh honey, you're not a freak and you aren't ruining anything. Please believe that." Kate pleaded with her and tried to set the picture on the small table beside the bed.

"No! Carly hates it so put it under the mattress so she won't be upset!" Jordan yelled.

"Okay, shh, don't get upset. I'm putting it under the mattress." Kate said.

"You have to go. Daddy will be here any second." Jordan said.

Kate sat on the side of the bed, leaned in and kissed the little girl on the cheek.

"Goodnight sweetheart. I hope you feel better." Kate said and walked out of the room, never seeing Jack lurking off to the side.

They didn't talk about the kids when they went to bed. They were tired and hungry for each other, the messy trail of clothes from the bedroom door to the bed evidence of their urgent need to be together, an urgency that brought them together quickly and over the edge quickly. He never pulled out of her, neither completely satisfied, but both settled enough to slow down and thoroughly enjoy one another as they stayed connected and kissed like teenagers, him still hard enough to penetrate and move slowly within her and her so horny and in love that the slow, deep, warm penetration brought her to an equally deep, warm orgasm.

"I could stay inside of you like this all night." He spoke softly into her ear, nibbling the ear lobe and pushing deep inside of her.

She couldn't speak, the feeling of him literally pouring all of his love into her both exciting and emotional. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer, their mouths coming together and swallowing one another in a deep, passionate, loving kiss that made both of them moan loudly. She could feel him growing inside of her and she quivered against him.

"You okay?" He asked in a breathy tone, the slow, patient ride he'd been giving her beginning to intensify and pick up some speed.

"I'm better than okay. Do you love me as much as I love you? Is it even possible?" She asked, resting her chin on his shoulder and holding on as he began pounding into her.

He didn't answer her, he was too focused on the mission at hand and within minutes his mission was accomplished, their bodies shaking almost violently against one another as their orgasms overtook them, both panting and making noises that could never be mistaken for anything other than what they were, two people caught in the throws of ecstasy and unable to be quiet about it.

He finally lifted his face from its position in the pillow just above her shoulder and looked at her. He kissed her once more and slowly and gently moved out and off of her. He relaxed onto his back and pulled her into his arms, wrapping her up tightly and holding her there.

"Yes." He said.

"Yes what?" She asked.

"Yes, it's possible that I love you as much as you love me and I do. It's like discovering what love is really supposed to feel like." He said.

"Do you sit around and think up incredibly sweet things to say to me or does that really always come naturally to you?" She asked.

"No, I don't sit around and practice (chuckles). What can I say? You turn me into a sappy greeting card." He said.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I happen to find sappy greeting cards incredibly satisfying in every way possible." She sighed happily.

"You sound as happy as I feel. We're going to be okay Kate. You and me and the kids, we're going to be great." He said confidently.

"I think so too." She agreed.

"Jordan will come around Kate. I hope that she didn't hurt your feelings tonight. I was standing outside the door." He said.

Kate lifted her head and kissed him quickly before getting comfortable again.

"She doesn't hurt my feelings Jack, she breaks my heart. I need to be really careful with her Jack and not push too hard, but I do have a solution to the picture problem." She said softly.

"What's that?" He asked.

"Let's rest so we can make love one more time before we go to sleep and I'll tell you." She said sleepily.

"Sounds like a plan." He said softly, knowing they were both too tired to go again, but content to play along if it meant he was about to get to go to sleep.

He glanced down less than two minutes later and she was out, her naked body tangled with his and her head lying comfortably on his chest. He pulled the comforter over them, reached for the switch on the lamp beside the bed and turned it off.

"Goodnight Kate." He mumbled and joined her in slumber land.


	16. Chapter 16

He walked sleepily into the kitchen, finding six kids eating oatmeal and toast and Kate sipping coffee at the breakfast bar. He approached her and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"You should've woken me. I would've helped." He mumbled.

"You had them most of the day yesterday and I was awake. I guess I'm feeling a little anxious." She admitted.

"Second thoughts?" He asked.

"No, it's just a little unnerving, packing up my home and my kids, but it's also a little exciting. It'll be fine Jack." She said.

"It will be fine and you will be fine and it's okay if you're feeling a little uneasy, it's understandable, but I promise you Kate, if for some reason this doesn't work out between us I will make sure that you and your boys have everything you had before you met me." He told her.

"This has to work Jack. We can't put our kids through something like that. Can you promise me that this is going to work?" She asked, biting nervously on her bottom lip.

"I can promise you that I want this to work and that I will do everything I can to make this work. What about you? Are you all in?" He asked.

"I'm all in Jack. I promise." She said and stood on her tip-toes to give him a kiss.

"Dad, it's the Friday after Thanksgiving. We're supposed to put up the Christmas tree." Carly reminded him.

"I don't think that's going to happen Carly, but maybe we can do it tomorrow." Jack said.

"Do you got a big tree Jack?" Simon asked.

"We usually all go out together and pick out a live tree and try to get a good sized one." Jack told him.

"We can't have a real tree. Simon has asthma and bad allergies and real trees make him sick." Kenny said.

Jack looked at Kate and she nodded at him.

"I've never noticed him having trouble breathing or using an inhaler." Jack said.

"He takes preventive medication and I don't let him carry his inhalers around with him. He's too young. I keep one at school and one with me." Kate explained.

"Kate, what if he'd had an asthma attack while he was with me?" Jack asked.

"Sorry. I just forgot to mention it. Rumor has it you're a really smart doctor so I'm sure you would've figured it out and known what to do." She said and winked at him.

"What is he allergic to exactly?" Jack asked.

"I'm not sure. He's never been tested, but a live Christmas tree set him off when he was two and it was a pretty bad one so we don't have them anymore. Are we going to be ruining Christmas?" Kate asked.

"No, of course not. We'll just go buy a fake tree." Jack said.

"We don't get to go to the tree store this year?" Jordan whined.

"What's a tree store?" Simon asked.

"It's where you buy Christmas trees dummy and we can't go because of you." Jordan accused hatefully.

"Jordan , do you need a time-out?" Jack asked.

"No." Jordan mumbled softly.

"Apologize." Jack ordered.

"I'm sorry Simon. You're not a dummy." Jordan said.

"It's okay Jordan . I'm sorry you can't have a real tree because of me." Simon said sadly.

"You know what guys, the fake trees in the stores are so cool and they look real and they come with the lights already on them so we wouldn't have to wait forever for daddy to put the lights on. They have some really big ones too and I think we need a really big one this year so Santa will have lots of room for all the extra presents he'll have to leave. A really big live tree would be way too heavy to get through the door, but if we get a fake one, we can get the biggest tree we've ever had." Carly explained in an excited tone trying desperately to diffuse the potentially volatile situation.

Jack and Kate, without really noticing, held their breath as they watched the five other children contemplate what Carly had said.

"Santa's bringing extra presents this year?" Kendall asked excitedly, the part about the presents apparently the only part of the conversation she'd keyed in on.

"Have I ever told you how much I love that kid?" Kate whispered to him laughing lightly.

"Santa will be bringing presents for six kids this year instead of three, so there will be more than what you're used to seeing, but they won't all be for you." Jack explained doing his best not to laugh.

"Can we all go together to pick out the tree?" Jordan asked.

"Yes." Jack said.

"Since we're going to be buying such a big tree maybe you guys can pick out some new ornaments too." Kate suggested.

"What's ornamats?" Kendall asked.

"The pretty shiny balls you hang on the tree Kendall ." Carly answered.

"What about our ornaments mom?" Kenny asked.

"We'll bring them here honey and put them on the tree." Kate assured him.

Jack felt a light tug on the leg of his jeans and looked down. Tucker was looking up at him, strawberry jelly on his chin and oatmeal stuck to the front of his shirt. He reached down and picked him up, grabbing a paper towel and wiping the jelly from his face.

"What about you kiddo, are you going to weigh in on this discussion?" Jack asked the little boy.

"I need to go potty." Tucker answered, making Jack chuckle.

"Come on sweetie, mommy will take you." Kate said and reached for him.

"No! Jack take me!" Tucker demanded.

"Go by yourself Tucker." Kenny said.

"No, it's too dark." Tucker refused.

"It's daytime Tuck." Kenny argued.

"It's fine Kenny. Come on squirt, I'll go with you." Jack said and walked away with the boy.

They cleaned up the breakfast dishes and took the four younger children to Candice for the day. Kenny and Carly seemed eager to help with the move and didn't complain…much. Kate would catch herself watching Jack as he patiently instructed Kenny on how to disassemble whatever piece of furniture they were about to dismantle and then just as patiently show him how to reassemble that same furniture as they moved it into his house. The sight of the two of them loading a heavy piece of furniture onto the truck, knowing that Jack was carrying the bulk of the load but allowing Kenny to believe he was doing a man's work, made her heart swell. He was so good with Kenny and everything the boy needed in his life and the more she watched, the more she believed she was absolutely doing the right thing for herself and for her children. She couldn't imagine loving anyone as much as she loved Jack and whatever faults he may have that she'd yet to discover couldn't possibly overshadow all the good that literally oozed from his pores.

By 3 PM they had the boy's stuff moved into Jack's house and completely reassembled. They unloaded boxes of toys and linens and all of the ones marked "Christmas" as well as all of Kate's clothes and whatever personal items she wanted to bring with her. Kate's kitchen and living room furniture were left on the truck. All they had left to do was dismantle Kate's bedroom and move it along with the washer and dryer onto the truck and to the storage building they'd rented. They fed Kenny and Carly turkey sandwiches and decided the kids could spend the rest of the day with Candice while they finished up.

They walked into the now mostly empty rent house and she stopped in the middle of the empty living room and wrapped her arms around herself. He moved in behind her and wrapped his arms around her until she relaxed into him.

"You okay?" He asked.

"I spent four years doing everything short of selling my body to make sure my kids had a warm, safe place to live, clothes on their back and food in their stomachs. I can't begin to describe how incredibly difficult it was at times. Sometimes it was downright scary. But as difficult as it was Jack, it was easily the best four years of my adult life because I was this strong, independent person making decisions for myself and for my kids and I wasn't expected to answer to anyone or expected to be anything more than what I was." She told him.

"Kate, I fell in love with you, with the woman you just described and I don't want you to change a thing. I don't ever want you to feel like you should be answering to me and please don't ever be anything more than the wonderful woman that you are. Always be strong and independent and make decisions not only for yourself, but for all of us. The last four years have been incredibly difficult for me too, not financially, but in every other way imaginable. Things don't have to be so hard anymore Kate, not as long as we're together. Do you believe that?" He spoke softly to her.

"I do, I'm just afraid to relax about it because then it might go away. You know the day I first stood in this empty living room and took stock of my life I believed I'd never let another man in to my life and now that I have I can't help but wonder how different things could've been if I'd met you first." She said, sinking into his embrace and tilting her head so that his lips could find her neck.

"Maybe things would've been different in a bad way Kate. If we're shaped by the people we encounter and the things we experience maybe our past relationships shaped us into the people we fell in love with. I bet we would've had a really good time making those six kids though." He teased and nibbled lightly on her earlobe.

"I don't think we would've had six kids Jack." She giggled.

"Sure we would've. We just would've had to work double-time to pull it off." He said and turned her around so he could kiss her.

She moved her arms up and linked her hands behind his neck, feeling his hands on her lower back gently pulling her closer. She noticed the slow, melancholy tune playing on the radio that was sitting in the corner of the room and looked up at him.

"I've never danced with a man. Will you dance with me Jack?" She asked.

"For the rest of my life." He said softly.

He held her close while their bodies slowly moved to the music, her head resting on his shoulder for awhile and eventually pulling back to look at him before engaging him in a slow, wet, passionate kiss, neither hearing the music anymore or moving to it for that matter. She moved her hands underneath his t-shirt and slowly worked it up his torso, over his head and off and he followed suit, removing her shirt and taking a moment to wipe the dirty smudge on her cheek away.

"The shower still works if you want to clean up first." She offered.

"No. Shh…..just like this." He said and kissed her again while his hands slid behind her and unhooked her bra.

He slid the bra off of her body and cupped a warm, soft breast in his hand while he continued to kiss her, their stomachs gently touching and the heat from their skin making both of them begin to sweat. She unfastened his jeans and slipped a hand inside his boxers, his hardness greeting her eager hand.

"Mmm…so hard." She moaned as she wrapped her hand around him and pumped slowly.

"Just for you baby." He groaned as he pushed her jeans and panties over her hips and halfway down her thighs, his hand immediately sliding between her legs from behind.

"I want you inside me…now." She panted as she pushed his jeans and boxers over his hips and roughly attempted to guide him to her opening.

"Easy babe, slow down." He half chuckled, half winced.

"I don't want to slow down. I want you to fuck me Jack. Now." She demanded, her cheeks flushed and her eyes completely glazed over with desire.

"Okay, but you're going to have to finish taking your pants off." He told her and carefully coaxed her hand away from his penis and the death grip she had on it.

She quickly kicked her shoes off, followed by her jeans. He lifted her off the floor and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked the few steps to the wall and pinned her against it as he drove himself into her. She cried out and wrapped her arms around him tighter.

"Harder and deeper baby. Please, I'm so close." She panted.

He thrust into her hard three times and she came hard, sinking her teeth into his shoulder as she shuddered against him. When she settled he pulled her away from the wall and carried her into her bedroom, sitting on the bed with her in his lap. He kicked off his shoes and worked his jeans and boxers down his legs and off all while she held tightly to him, his hardened length buried inside of her, throbbing and twitching and ready to please her in ways that only he could. She placed her hands on his face and covered his mouth with hers, their tongues slowly dueling, neither eager for dominance, but both working to calm each other down. Her hips began to slowly move up and down, taking him in as deep as she could and then slowly pulling away. His hands reached out and stilled her. He lifted her off of him and carefully laid her back onto the bed, the bed that was stripped of all of it's coverings and was about to be christened one last time before it and the love they shared on it was tucked away in a storage building.

He moved between her legs and hovered over her. She guided his tip to her entrance and closed her eyes as he slowly pushed in, filling her up again and making her breath hitch as the familiar tingling began in her lower abdomen and groin.

"Oh god Jack how do you do that?" She panted as she came again, surrounding him with heat and moisture and making him grunt and groan as he struggled to maintain control.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." He said in a husky tone, closing his mouth over one of her nipples and making love to her slowly.

She relaxed into the mattress and ran her fingers through his hair as he moved his mouth from one nipple to the other. His body penetrating hers in a slow, sensual rhythm while she watched his mouth devour her chest in the same slow, sensual manner. She felt another orgasm taking over and arched her body as she rode it out, the feeling so good, but also beginning to exhaust her and he knew that. He moved away from her breasts and captured her mouth in a wet, sloppy kiss as he began to move faster, his own need becoming urgent, but unwilling to give in until she was ready to reach that peak with him.

"I love you so much. One more baby, come with me." He panted, his body pounding furiously into hers.

She pulled her legs back driving him in deeper and within 30 seconds they were both grunting and groaning and trying not to lose their minds as their bodies exploded against each other.

They lay together in each other's arms, naked, no sheets, no blankets, not even a pillow. She turned onto her side and snuggled into him, tired and a little chilly.

"Why don't you let me take you home. I can finish this by myself." He offered.

"You can't unload the truck by yourself." She argued.

"I can call one of my friends. Come on Kate, I know you're tired. The kids are with Candice. You can soak in a hot bath and take a nap." He said, his hand trailing gently over her bare back.

"You're tired too Jack." She said.

"Yeah, but I got to sleep in this morning. Think about it Kate, a hot, steamy bubble bath and a book and nobody screaming mommy to interrupt you. That's gotta be better than sex right?" He tried to convince her.

"Nothing is better than sex with you. Think how nice that hot, steamy bath would be with both of us in there together and me making you scream mommy." She teased.

"Cute. Get dressed. I'm taking you home. You need some 'me' time and I need to finish up here before it gets dark." He said, kissing her gently.

She could feel the tiny hands pushing on her and forced her eyes open. Tucker was sitting beside her, excited about something and Jack was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"What time is it?" She mumbled.

"It's Saturday." He answered.

"What? I slept all night?" She asked and sat up so she could cuddle her four year old into her lap.

"You did, but then I knew you were tired. It was just a matter of getting you to sit still long enough to actually fall asleep." He said.

"Jack you should've got me up." Kate said.

"It wasn't a big deal Kate. I didn't finish until after nine o'clock. The two little kids were ready for bed by the time I grabbed them from Candice and the four older ones were in an agreeable mood so the whole house was shut down and sleeping by 11 PM. You needed the rest. Rumor has it we have a really large Christmas tree to buy and decorate today." He said, leaning in and kissing her, trapping Tucker in-between them.

"Move!" Tucker demanded and pushed on Jack's chest, making him laugh lightly and put some distance between himself and Kate.

"Tucker has something he wants to show you." Jack said.

"You do? Can you bring it to mommy?" Kate asked.

"No, come look mommy. Jack fixed it. Come on." Tucker told her squirming out of her lap and sliding off the bed.

Kate moved off the bed and followed the happy toddler out of the bedroom, across the foyer and formal living area and to the hallway that led to the kids bedrooms. He stopped and jumped up and down excitedly.

"Look mommy! Cars that make the dark go away!" Tucker exclaimed.

Jack had bought six race car night lights and plugged them into all of the outlets in the hallway in hopes that it would provide enough light so that the boy would no longer be afraid to go to the bathroom by himself.

"That's great baby, did you tell Jack thank you?" Kate asked

"No." Tucker answered honestly, making both parents bite back a smile.

"Tuck, give Jack a hug and tell him thank you." Kate said.

Jack kneeled down so the boy could hug him and thank him and then watched him run off excitedly to find his brothers.

"Pretty smart Jack, but what about the girls? Do they really want race cars in the hallway that leads to their bedroom?" Kate asked.

"Let's see, Carly rolled her eyes and mumbled _'whatever dad'_, Jordan is too wrapped up in her own neuroses to notice and Kendall thinks they're cool and has already spent 15 minutes in time-out for unplugging one of them after I specifically told her not to touch them. On the male side of things Kenny thinks Tucker is being a big baby because and I quote, _'mom lets him be a big brat'_ and Simon thinks I'm awesome for making the hallway look like a race track." Jack told her making her laugh.

"I think you're pretty awesome too." She said, wrapping her arms around his waist and kissing him.

"You might not think I'm so awesome when you see what I fed the kids for breakfast, but we got you one with sprinkles." He said and smiled at her.

"Jack as exhausting as this weekend has been, I wouldn't care if you fed them chocolate bars for breakfast. Did you really get me a donut with sprinkles?" She asked with a bit of a gleam in her eyes.

"Two actually and there's a fresh pot of coffee out there." He said.

"Mmm….I knew there was a really good reason why I love you so much." She giggled and kissed him again.

They spent the day shopping for the perfect Christmas tree and a few new ornaments to go on it. They ate an early dinner together in a family oriented restaurant and headed home with their very large tree and six kids who were tired and a bit on the cranky side. By the time Jack got the tree out of the box and assembled, it was after 8 PM and the kids were bickering and picking at one another and whatever patience he possessed was completely gone. Carly didn't want to use the same stockings this year because they were the stockings her mother had bought for them when they were babies. Jordan insisted on putting out the Christmas photo of the five of them, the last Christmas they'd spent together as a family and Carly didn't want her to. The boys hated the girls' ornaments and the girls hated the boys' ornaments. Kendall and Tucker had managed to break more than a handful of ornaments because they wouldn't stay out of them and wait for the tree to be ready. The final straw came when Kenny shoved Simon and he fell backwards onto a box of ornaments from Kate's childhood, shattering them and her.

"Pajamas, teeth and bed. Now! Kenny take Tucker with you and make sure he goes to the bathroom. Carly make sure Kendall brushes her teeth. I'm coming back there in 15 minutes and every one of you better be in bed or you'll be spending tomorrow in your bedrooms." Jack said sternly.

"But dad, I don't…." Carly started to object, thinking better of it and stopping.

"You can't tell me what to do." Kenny said hatefully.

"Oh yes he can, now you better move it mister." Kate told him.

The six disappointed children walked off mumbling just low enough that the adults couldn't hear them while Jack kneeled beside Kate, placing an arm around her and helping her assess the damage to the box of ornaments.

"Can we save any of them?" He asked softly, kindly, knowing she was on the verge of tears.

"No." She croaked and let the tears fall.

He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close.

"I'm sorry Kate. I should've put them up high." He said.

"It's not the ornaments Jack. It's the kids. They're fighting and calling each other names and they have things about Christmas they're used to and don't want that to change. I don't think they're happy." She cried.

"Shh…they're okay Kate. They're just being kids and they're too tired to do this tonight. We should've made them wait until tomorrow." He tried to console her.

"They're fighting over stockings and ornaments and whose decorations get to be displayed. Why did we think we could just combine the traditions of two families and everybody would be happy?" She asked, no longer crying, but keeping her head on his shoulder.

"Because we're figuring things out as we go. This was obviously a bad idea. Lesson learned. How about we start a new tradition for this family." He offered.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Let's get rid of all of these old decorations and start fresh. That way the kids can pick out everything together and they won't feel like they're clinging onto a past that all of us need to let go of." He said.

"Jack, that's a really big tree. Do you really want to start from scratch?" She asked.

"Do you?" He asked.

"I don't know, maybe. I think it would probably eliminate a lot of the tension and emotions running amok." She said.

Jack was about to respond when they heard screams coming from the back of the house. Carly and Jordan were fighting and Jordan was close to losing it. They ran back to the bedroom. Carly was standing on her bed holding a small picture frame above her head so Jordan couldn't get to it. Jordan was so distraught she was beyond melting down. She was screaming and hitting herself in the head with her fists. Jack grabbed hold of Jordan and wrapped her up in his arms so she couldn't hit herself anymore and carried her out of the bedroom.

Kate took hold of Carly's hand and pulled her off the bed, snatching the photo out of her other hand angrily.

"What is the matter with you?" Kate asked angrily.

"It's bad enough I have two bratty sisters who my dad always lets have their way and now I'm in trouble because all you have to do is look like you're going to cry and he gets mad and blames it on me." Carly spat angrily.

"So you're mad at me and decided to take it out on Jordan ?" Kate asked.

"No, it's her fault too. She needs to stop being such a baby about everything." Carly said.

"Carly, I understand that being the oldest isn't always fun, but….." Kate tried to calmly talk to the child.

"Shut up Kate!" Carly shouted at her.

"Where's Kendall?" Jack asked from the doorway, making both Carly and Kate jump.

"She's brushing her teeth." Carly answered.

"Kate, Jordan is in our bed. Do you mind sitting with her while Carly and I have a talk?" Jack asked.

"Sure." Kate said and left the room.

"Daddy I didn't mean….." Carly started, stopped by her father's angry look.

"Go wait for me in the kitchen." He said.

Carly walked away slowly, knowing that she'd finally pushed his last button and that she was about to get punished severely.

"Jack." Kenny called from the boy's bedroom.

"What is it?" Jack asked as he poked his head in the door.

"We're sorry. Is my mom okay?" Kenny asked.

"I'm sorry too. I should've handled the whole tree thing better. Your mom is okay and she'll be in to tell you guys goodnight in few minutes." Jack said and moved down the hallway to the bathroom where his five year old was perched on the counter literally brushing her teeth one at a time.

He stepped into the bathroom and lifted her off of the counter, setting her down on the small step stool in front of the sink.

"You know I don't like it when you climb on the counters monkey. When you finish brushing go get in bed and daddy will be in to tuck you in." He said sweetly and left the bathroom to go deal with his oldest daughter.

Kate entered the bedroom and went straight to the closet, still clutching the small picture frame she'd taken out of Carly's hand. She looked down at the photo. It was a picture of Jennifer holding a newborn baby that she assumed was Jordan . She couldn't imagine how such a pretty and innocent looking woman could've been capable of inflicting so much damage on four people, but she refused to harbor bad feelings toward a woman who was obviously off her nut in some capacity. She exited the closet with a stuffed dog. It was brown and shaggy and had a face that reminded her of the dog Benji she'd seen in movies as a kid. She approached the bed and eased herself in beside Jordan who was lying in the center of the bed on her side, her breath still hitching slightly from being so upset, but otherwise calm. She placed the stuffed dog in front of her face.

"Who's that?" Jordan asked softly, her voice hoarse.

"I used to call him Buddy, but he's yours now so you can call him whatever you like." Kate said.

"He's mine? How come?" Jordan asked, perking up some and sitting up so she could inspect the stuffed toy properly.

"When I was a little girl just about your age I had to have an operation. I was very sick and had to stay in the hospital. My mom had to work a lot to take care of me so she couldn't stay with me while I was there. She knew I was scared and missing her so she brought me this dog and he's a very special dog because he has a secret hiding place." Kate said.

"He does? Where? What do you hide in there?" Jordan asked.

Kate picked up the dog, opened the secret compartment on its belly and pulled out a small photo. She handed it to Jordan .

"That's a picture of me and my mom. My mom put that picture inside Buddy's tummy so that I'd have her with me while I was in the hospital. I thought it was kind of neat so I kept it there all the time so that I would always have my mom with me and it was our secret. Nobody else ever knew about Buddy's secret hiding place and what I kept in there…..until now." Kate explained.

"Where is your mom Kate?" Jordan asked.

"She got very sick and she died." Kate answered.

"You should keep Buddy so you can keep your mom with you." Jordan said.

"My mom is always with me Jordan . I can't see her or touch her, but I know she's there and she would want you to have Buddy." Kate said.

"But aren't you sad without your mom?" Jordan asked.

"Sometimes, but I have so many people in my life to love that just thinking about them makes me happy. I have your dad and my boys and you girls and I know my mom is happy that I have so many people around to keep me company." Kate said.

"Do you think my mom is happy Kate?" Jordan asked.

"I think your mom loved you very much and that she wouldn't want you to be so sad and confused Jordan . So what do you say? Do you think you and Buddy might be friends?" Kate asked.

"Nobody will know mommy's picture is inside of him?" Jordan asked.

"They'll only know if you tell because I'll never tell anyone." Kate said.

"Can we tell daddy?" Jordan asked.

"Yeah, I think your daddy is a really good secret keeper." Kate said.

Kate removed the picture from the small picture frame and helped Jordan slip it into the secret compartment in the dog's belly. Kate relaxed back onto the stack of pillows and watched Jordan get acquainted with her new friend. She finally moved up, gave Kate a hug and a kiss on the cheek and then snuggled in beside her, resting her head on her bosom.

"Thank you Kate. Buddy can sleep with me and when the bad pictures come back I'll just look at his cute face and know what's inside his tummy and I bet they'll go away." Jordan said.

"I bet they will too." Kate agreed, rubbing soft circles over Jordan 's back.

Jack entered the kitchen and paced for a moment. His daughter had never behaved like this before so it was new territory for him.

"What's going on with you Carly?" He finally asked.

"I don't know." She mumbled.

"You don't know? You're being so mean to your sister and you're not a mean person so why would you do that to her?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. She's just driving me crazy and you have Kate to help you now so I don't have to be their mom anymore." Carly said.

Jack sat at the table directly across from her and made eye contact with her.

"It was never your job to be their mom Carly so let's not suggest that I ever expected you to be because we both not it's not true. What's going on here? Are you jealous that Kate might start doing things for them that you always used to do? Are you feeling like I've somehow replaced you?" Jack asked.

"I don't know dad, maybe. I'm sorry I hurt Jordan 's feelings, I am, but when is she ever going to stop being so difficult all the time?" Carly asked.

"Listen Carly, you have been such a big help to me and while I never expected you to be so helpful, I always appreciated it. I don't think your relationship with your sisters has to change unless you want it to and if you do, that's fine, but don't make the change because of Kate, make the change because it's something that you need to do. As for Jordan , she may never stop being so difficult and you trying to force her to be something that she's not capable of being isn't going to work and I don't want to see anymore of it. Are we clear on that?" He asked.

"Yes. Am I in trouble?" She asked.

"You should be, but I know this is a confusing time for all of you so I'm going to let it slide this time, but Carly if I catch you being mean to your sister again there will be no more second chances and I think you know what kind of mean I'm talking about. What you've done to her the last few days goes beyond normal sibling agitation. It borders on cruel and if I see it again, the punishment will be severe." He said firmly.

"Okay dad." She said.

"Do you think maybe you're ready for your own bedroom?" He asked.

"No! I mean, no. Kendall still likes to crawl into bed with me. She's not ready." Carly answered.

"You know Carly, you've always been a pretty well behaved child and you've always been a daddy's girl and I've never in your whole life had to spank you, but if I ever hear you talk to Kate like that again you will get your first lesson in why it is such an effective form of punishment." He told her, watching her eyes get really big as the threat sank in.

She sat quietly for a moment watching him and him watching her. He finally stood, approached her, held his hand out and pulled her up out of the chair. He put his arm over her shoulder and began walking her back to her bedroom.

"Daddy, I know I'm too big, but will you tuck me in tonight?" She asked.

"You're not too big, you just think you are." He said and hugged her closer to his side as they walked down the hallway, wondering how many nights in the future would be as tumultuous as this one had been.


	17. Chapter 17

He stopped at the doorway and watched them for a moment, the woman he loved and the daughter he spent so much time anguishing over lying together on the bed, both sleeping soundly. Jordan looked so peaceful cuddled up next to her and he allowed himself to hope, if only for a moment, that his little girl might actually be okay some day. He walked away from the bedroom and back to the other side of the house to let the boys know their mom wouldn't be in to tell them goodnight.

He tucked Tucker snuggly into his bed and moved over to the other side of the room where Kenny and Simon were.

"Are we in trouble Jack? Is my mom too mad to tuck us in?" Kenny asked.

"No, you're not in trouble. I think everyone is just overtired. It's been a busy few days. Your mom is sleeping really good so I thought it might be nice if we just let her sleep, but if you really, really need her I can wake her." Jack said.

"No, it's okay. I'm too big to be tucked in anyway. I think Simon needs her though. He's trying to hide it, but I can tell he's itchy and when he gets itchy he gets an attack." Kenny said.

Jack glanced over at Simon who had his back to him and was rubbing hard at his eyes with his fingers.

"I promise I'll take care of Simon and if I can't, I'll wake your mom. Deal?" Jack asked.

"Deal." Kenny answered.

"Are you sure you don't need to be tucked in? I'm here and I'm pretty good at it." Jack coaxed gently.

"I'm okay, but…." He said and stopped.

"But what?" Jack asked.

"If we keep being bad are you going to make us leave?" He asked his voice cracking as he fought his tears.

"Does that mean you like it here?" Jack asked.

"Uh huh, a lot." Kenny said.

"Good, because I really like having you here. Listen Kenny, there are a lot of us and we're getting used to living under the same roof and that's going to take some time. We're going to have some good times and some not so good times, but nobody is going to make anyone leave. I promise. Now, I want you to do something for me." Jack said.

"What?" Kenny asked.

"I want you to relax and I want you to feel like you're home, because you are." Jack said.

"Okay…and can you tuck the blanket under the mattress. I like it to cover me really tight." Kenny said and smiled at him.

Jack returned the smile and tucked the blankets securely around him and moved over to Simon's bed. He placed his hand on his back and could feel the rattling and wheezing. He gently encouraged the boy to roll over and kept his voice and his face calm even though the child's left eye was swollen completely shut and the right one was watering like it had a faucet attached to it. Whatever he had on his hands had triggered an allergic reaction. Jack lifted the boy out of the bed and carried him out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. He sat him on the counter and looked him over.

"Buddy, you look like Quasimodo. What'd you get into?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. It itches so bad Jack." Simon answered.

Jack pulled the boy's hands up to his face and sniffed them. They smelled like perfume.

"Did you get into perfume?" Jack asked.

" Kendall tried to squirt some on me, but I put my hands up to stop her." Simon told him.

Jack washed Simon's hands, face and neck thoroughly, mumbling about how rotten his youngest daughter was and then laid Simon back onto the counter so he could put his head in the sink and wash the perfume out of his eyes. Simon was afraid at first, but as soon as he realized the water was going to feel good and not hurt he relaxed into the crook of Jack's arm and let him do what he needed to do. Jack gave the child some Benadryl and two puffs off of the inhaler Kate had placed in the medicine cupboard the day before and then made himself and the child comfortable on the couch in the family room.

"What are we doing Jack?" Simon asked.

"I need to sit with you for awhile bud, just in case you need the inhaler again." Jack said, not wanting to scare the boy, but worried about how labored his breathing was.

"But I'm really tired." Simon whined.

"Go ahead and lay down buddy and I'll sit here with you." Jack said.

"No, I want you to lie down too. I don't like it when I can't breathe good. It makes me scared." Simon told him becoming agitated.

Jack lay down on the couch with his back to the back of it. He placed a pillow beside him and had Simon lay on the pillow stomach-down so that his head would be slightly lower than his chest and began to gently pat his back between the shoulder blades, a move that would not only relax the child, but would also loosen the mucous in his lungs. Simon began to relax almost immediately and after a few productive coughs he and his breathing began to settle and he drifted off to sleep.

Kate awoke early, peeled herself away from Jordan and began looking for Jack. She entered the family room and stopped. He was stretched out on the couch and Simon was curled up next to him. His little head and shoulders in the crook of Jacks arm and the rest of his body nestled snuggly against him. Both were sleeping soundly and Kate knew first hand how warm and safe it felt to be wrapped up next to Jack like that so she could understand why her little boy looked so content. As if he could somehow sense her presence in the room his eyes opened and he was staring right at her.

"Hey." He whispered.

"Hey yourself. Coffee?" She offered.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute.

After about 10 minutes, he joined her in the kitchen. He sat down in one of the chairs at the table and as soon as she set the two cups of coffee down he pulled her into his lap and kissed her, his hand moving up and down her silky smooth thigh and then up inside her shirt, cupping his hand over her breast and squeezing gently.

"Boy, somebody woke up horny." She giggled and pushed his hand away.

"Woke up? No Kate, I walk around in a constant state of arousal, especially when you're walking around in a t-shirt and panties." He mumbled into the side of her neck while he gently nibbled on the skin there.

"Should I go put some pants on then?" She asked.

"No, I'd just have to take them back off." He said and slipped his hand back up inside her shirt and swallowed her up in a passionate, I want to bury myself inside you now, toe-curling kiss.

She couldn't believe she was going along with this, but he wanted her bad and the idea of making love in the kitchen at 6 AM when any one of the children could walk in on them at any moment was strangely exciting. She turned her body into his and straddled his lap, never breaking the kiss or disturbing the hand and fingers that had her nipples so hard the line between pleasure and pain was becoming blurred. He slipped the fingers of his other hand into the crotch of her panties and groaned as the heated moisture greeted him.

He roughly ripped the crotch of her panties away and pushed a finger inside of her, which she accepted with slippery ease, moaning into his mouth and grinding down in his hips, trapping his hand and forcing his finger in deeper. He was so hard and so needy that he wondered if he was going to lose his load in his pants and he chuckled lightly, happy that he'd met a woman who could do this to him, a woman who could make him want to pound her brains out 15 minutes after waking up all while being so head over heels in love part of him was screaming to settle down, take it slow, be tender, and enjoy her.

Horny and needy won out the minute he felt her hand unfastening and unzipping his pants and pulling him out through the opening. He pulled his hand away from her crotch and the other away from her breast and stood with her in his arms. He walked them through the kitchen and into the laundry room. He closed the door, set her down on the built-in folding table, quickly slipped what was left of her panties off and pushed inside of her.

"Mmm…baby I missed you last night." He panted, kissing her quickly and then placing his hands on either side of her on the table, her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs up and spread as far apart as they could go.

He wasn't tender, anything but and when she came the first time he had to clamp his hand over her mouth, the scream she let go of sure to wake the children and he wasn't ready to be finished. He took them down to the floor, the large throw rug providing the necessary padding. He covered her body with his and settled into a fast and steady pace, having gained a new control and ready to love her until her eyes rolled back into head.

He'd been having sex with an actual partner since he was 17 years old and while most of it was of the good variety, none of it came close to matching what he felt when he was with Kate. He felt giddy and flowery on one hand and like a crazed, hungry, animal on the other hand, the two sides of him melding and making him believe he was discovering true love for the first time in his life.

He could feel her fingers running through his hair, digging into his scalp as they made a continuous path over his shoulders and neck and back up through his hair again. It was how she tamed him, how she managed to soothe the hungry beast and bring out the passionate lover and he felt his breath hitch. He slowed down and poured everything he had left into hopefully making her breath hitch too and it did just before she briefly made eye contact with him before closing her eyes and crying out softly. She clenched around him and came again and he followed right behind her, watching her face and feeling her body quivering around him. They were on a throw rug in the laundry at 6 AM, but it was as close to perfect as two people could get.

They rolled onto their sides, still connected and facing one another. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, eventually pulling back and smiling at him.

"Good morning." She hummed happily.

"It's starting out to be a pretty good one." He said, smiling at her and placing a soft peck on her lips.

"That was a lot of passion Jack. I love that you want me that much." She told him and returned the soft peck.

"I always want you that much. I can't believe you went along with it. Aren't we supposed to be the responsible adults in this newly formed family?" He chuckled.

"It only would've been irresponsible if we'd gotten caught. How would I begin to explain why the crotch of my panties is missing?" She giggled.

"We'd just have to tell them it's one of the side-effects of true love." He offered.

"Lying to them works for me." She continued to giggle.

"It's not a lie, not fully anyway because I do love you so much it makes me crazy and a bit out of control sometimes." He told her.

"I know, it's pretty great isn't it?" She said and kissed him again, feeling him still moving slowly within her and hoping he had one more round in him.

He could feel her pulling her leg up higher over his hip as she worked to grind herself against him, kissing him with complete abandon and ready to be taken on the hard floor of the laundry room some more and he didn't disappoint.

They sat on the couch in the family room watching the six children decorate the Christmas tree with the new ornaments that all of them picked out together. Each child was allowed to pick out one special ornament that would be theirs and then they were tasked with picking out a large assortment they could all agree on. There had been some bickering along the way, but all in all the day had gone smoother than the previous one. Jack watched Jordan patiently helping Tucker find the perfect spot for the Santa driving a fire truck ornament he'd picked out, reached over, took hold of Kate's hand, brought it to his mouth and kissed the top of it gently.

"Thank you for what you did for Jordan last night." He said.

"Thank you for what you did for Simon last night." She said.

"Taking care of people, especially when they're sick is something I can do in my sleep Kate, but what you did for Jordan was….well, you and that magic puppy were exactly what she needed." Jack said.

"I see, so if I were to come to the hospital to see you I'd find you lying in bed with your patients, rubbing their back and making them feel safe?" Kate asked.

"Well, only the really hot female patients." He teased, earning him a slap on the upper arm.

"You know Jack, I want to be a part of their lives. I didn't do what I did for Jordan last night because I felt obligated or because I wanted to make you happy. I did it because I care about her and I want to do anything I can to make her struggles a little bit easier. Do you do things with the boys just to earn brownie points with me?" She asked.

"No, of course not. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to sound like I was thanking you for a job well done. I guess after four years of battling Jordan 's demons on my own, it felt good to know I had a partner, someone who actually understands her and I just wanted you to know that." He said.

"I understand Jack. I felt the same way while I was watching you and Kenny break beds down and reassemble them together and when I saw you and Simon this morning I knew you'd helped him through an asthma attack and it felt so good to know that I wasn't going to have to deal with the scariness of that alone anymore." She said.

"Yeah, about that, I know you said you've never had Simon tested, but judging by what I saw last night I think he really needs to be tested so we can pinpoint what it is exactly he's allergic to." He said.

"No. I'm not putting him through that." Kate said.

"Kate, it's not a big deal and I think it's important we know what he's allergic to because I'm guessing a lot of it is food allergies and if that's the case we can keep those things out of his diet while also keeping the asthma from recurring. Also, some food allergies, if severe enough, can be very dangerous." He said.

"I thought he was allergic to the perfume Kendall squirted on him." Kate said.

"I think he's got quite a few allergy issues and that the perfume definitely irritated him, but I don't think it brought on the wheezing." He said.

"Let's just watch him Jack. He doesn't need a bunch of needles stuck in him." Kate said.

"Okay, but will you at least think about it and not close your mind to the idea entirely?" He told her.

"I can do that. Look at them Jack. They're all so happy right now. We might actually pull this off after all." She said.

"I've got a brutal work week coming up Kate. Getting four days in a row off is rare for me. I've got a backlogged patient load and surgeries and I'll be buried in paper work which means the earliest I'll be home will be around 11 PM. Are you going to be okay with all of these kids?" He asked.

"You did it while I was sick." She said.

"Yeah, but it was kind of like a party then. They were new to each other. It's different now. They're starting to act like siblings instead of friends. I want to have a little sit down with Kenny and Carly, but I didn't want to do it without running it by you first." He said.

"What kind of sit down?" Kate asked.

"I just want them to step up and help out. It's a lot of homework, dinners and baths and if the two oldest ones aren't giving you grief and are helping out with the younger ones then maybe it won't be as difficult." He said.

"Do you think it's fair to expect that of them?" She asked.

"No, but life's really not fair all the time. We can offer them some kind of reward for showing us they're older and can be more responsible." He said.

"Like what?" Kate asked.

"I don't know. Maybe allow them to go to the skating rink without us. I'd never allow Carly to go alone, but I'd be okay if they went together because they'd look out for each other. Or, how about when we go to Disneyland we let those two go off by themselves and ride the rides while we take care of the younger ones. Just little things like that, privileges that come with being the older, more responsible children." He suggested.

"You seriously want to take six kids to Disneyland ?" She asked, pretty much ignoring everything else he had to say.

"I take the girls on Christmas Eve. It's a great distraction from the Santa anticipation and of course there is a parade, the decorations and lights are fabulous and there are special holiday fireworks. It's great. By the time we get home they're exhausted and ready to sleep." Jack said.

"My….um the boys would love that, they've never been. But, shouldn't we do something more traditional our first Christmas together?" Kate asked.

"I don't know. What'd you have in mind. It's usually too warm to roast chestnuts on an open fire and by the time Christmas Eve rolls around I will have read "The Night Before Christmas" to the kids so much I'll have it memorized so it's not like it'd be a special event." He said.

"Maybe you should make them wait until Christmas Eve to hear the story." Kate said, her tone sharp.

"I could, but they're usually so excited about Christmas and I don't want to put a damper on that ever. Are you upset with me about something?" He asked.

"No, it's just kind of ridiculous. I mean for a man who supposedly doesn't like to spoil his children it sounds like that's exactly what you do or have I just been inadequate as a mother because I've never allowed my sons to experience Disneyland on Christmas Eve?" She asked.

"Kate, I know that things have been a struggle for you, but it's never occurred to me that you are somehow inadequate as a mother, just the opposite in fact. Also, there's a difference between spoiling a child and loving a child and having a day with the girls and watching them laugh and smile and get caught up in the magic of Christmas was all done out of love." He told her, doing his best not to get angry with her and her accusations.

"Then you should keep taking them, but I think my boys and I will just stay home." Kate said and quickly moved off the couch and out of the room.

"Hey Carly, I need to go talk to Kate. Can you hold the fort down for a few minutes?" Jack asked.

"Yes, but can we eat pretty soon. I'm starving." Carly said.

"We'll go out to dinner as soon as you guys get the tree done." Jack said and left the room.

He found her in the kitchen staring at the items in the pantry.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm trying to decide what to make for dinner." She said.

"I thought we were going out to a seafood restaurant tonight since the boys really want to try fish that doesn't come in a stick." He teased trying to lighten things up, but failing miserably.

"Of course because their inadequate mother feeds them frozen fish sticks." She spat angrily.

"What? The girls eat fish sticks all the time. What is going on with you Kate?" He asked.

"You do everything so right and so perfect don't you?" She said.

"What?" He asked, confused by her anger.

"It feels like you're taking care of us Jack, like you've just swooped in to take care of the poor damsel in distress and her poor neglected children. We haven't had the money for trips to Disneyland or dinners out in fancy seafood restaurants, but we've been happy Jack and me and my boys don't need you to save us." She said angrily.

"Is it always going to be a battle Kate? Are you always going to fight me on everything because you seem to think I'm some arrogant snob who's tossing his money around? I am sorry that things have been so difficult for you, but I'm not going to change my lifestyle to satisfy your foolish pride. Why did you even agree to move in here if you weren't willing to share this lifestyle with me? Did you really think I wasn't going to want and need to provide a less difficult existence for you and the boys? It's not about wanting to take care of you or trying to save you Kate. It's about loving you." He explained.

"Yeah, and what do I bring to the relationship?" She asked.

"Do I really need to answer that Kate?" He asked.

"I don't know. Maybe you do. You don't seem to think I'm capable of making medical decisions for my son or that I'm capable of handling the daily routines and the six children without bribing our two oldest ones to help out so I don't crumble." She accused.

He looked at her, confused and frustrated and unsure of how every little thing he said and did could possibly be construed as criticism.

"Kate, I was only being considerate. I don't want you to feel overwhelmed, like I've dumped this incredibly huge load solely in your lap, but I believe you are more than capable of handling the kids. As for Simon, I'm concerned. Am I allowed to be concerned or is that off limits? How about you tell me just how much I'm allowed to care about you and your children at any given time and I'll do my best to walk the line. I love you and I respect you and I don't think I've ever done anything to suggest otherwise and honestly, I'm tired of this. If you are going to twist everything I say and do as me trying to somehow control you or demean you then this may not work out. You have got to get over what David did to you Kate and give me a chance to love you and your sons the way that all of you deserve to be loved." He said and turned to walk away, feeling her grab his arm and turning back around.

"You're right. I'm sorry. You didn't want to overwhelm me, but you have. The big beautiful house, the spacious bedroom for the boys, the hundreds of dollars worth of Christmas decorations and the plans to fulfill every kid's dream Christmas Eve was just too much to absorb all at once. I know you mean well, but you have to give me time to adjust to this lifestyle. Give me time to feel like I'm home and like I belong before you suggest we switch the boys to the same school the girls go to." She said.

"Okay." He said, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

"Okay? That's it. You really understand?" She asked.

"Yeah, I think I do. Just so you know, I wasn't going to suggest we switch the boys' school until after Christmas break." He said with a slight grin and kissed her.

She moved into him and let him wrap his arms around her, letting her head rest on his chest and in no hurry to move away.

"I really am sorry Jack. It's a lot of change and a lot of emotions and I'm feeling a little crazy." She said.

"Hopefully as soon as you truly believe you can trust me you won't feel so crazy anymore." He said as he rubbed his hand up and down her back.

"I do trust you Jack." She argued.

"I think you really want to and on some level you actually believe you do, but you don't, not fully, your past won't allow you to. I've got to earn it and that's fine as long as you're willing to allow me to earn it." He said and she looked up at him.

"Jack, it's not you, it's me. It's always me and my insecurities. Please believe that. I love you so much and I'm trying so hard to stop acting like a crazy bitch because I want to be with you for as long as you can stand to have me around." She said, their eyes holding steady on each other.

He leaned in and kissed her softly.

"I won't give up Kate and I'm sorry I got so defensive earlier." He said.

"No, you had every right to get defensive. You're just being sweet and considerate and as usual I threw it back in your face. Christmas Eve at Disneyland sounds wonderful and I can handle the kids and don't worry Jack, your long hours aren't going to drive me away. Just promise me something." She said.

"What's that?" He asked.

"Promise me you'll always love me and the boys enough to fight for us the way you just did and I promise you I will work hard on letting go of my past." She said.

"I promise. Now, how about we round up the kids and go have a nice dinner." He said.

Dinner at the restaurant was going well. The children were all very hungry and too busy devouring the appetizers to nag and pick at each other. The boys, being boys thought it'd be way cool to crack open a lobster or some crab legs, but fearing it would take too long and they might not get full Jack agreed to buy some crab legs they all could have a shot at and convinced them to order combination platters that included fish, shrimp, and some pasta, which is what his daughters usually ordered. As the main dishes were served and the kids eagerly began to eat Jack reached under the table and squeezed Kate's hand, both smiling at one another and feeling a little proud that their six children were behaving so well. Jack had moved to whisper something to Kate when he felt the light tug on his shirt sleeve. He turned his attention to the tugging to find a very distressed looking Simon standing beside him.

"What's the matter buddy?" Jack asked and pulled him into his lap.

"I'm choking." The boy gasped and passed out in his arms.

Jack immediately sat the unconscious child up and pried his mouth open. There was nothing visible. He pushed a finger toward the back of his throat and could feel the swelling and noticed that the child's lips were also a little swollen.

"What's wrong with him?" Kate screamed.

"He's not choking. He's having an allergic reaction to the food. Call 9-1-1." Jack ordered and shoved the tablecloth and plates in front of him out of his way so he could lay the child on the table.

He could see that Kate was frozen with fear, grabbed his own cell phone and shoved it into the hands of the waiter who was watching the situation unfold.

"Call for an ambulance and I'll tell you what to say." Jack ordered and tilted Simon's head back.

He tried to breathe into Simon's mouth but the air wasn't going through.

"His airway is completely closed off. Tell them we've got a 7 year old in severe Anaphylactic Shock." Jack barked at the waiter who was talking to the 9-1-1 operator.

A woman a few tables away saw what was happening and ran over to them.

"I'm a nurse, can I do anything?" She asked.

"Go to the kitchen. Find me the smallest, sharpest knife you can and some kind of tubing, a straw will work. And hurry!" Jack told her, taking a moment to glance at the faces of the terrified five children and at Kate who he could tell wanted to scream and cry and completely freak out, but was holding it together for the sake of the children.

"What are you going to do Jack?" She asked in a scared tone as she held onto Simon's limp hand.

"I've got to get him some air Kate. I'm going to do a tracheotomy." He said.

"No, you can't just cut into his throat on a table in a restaurant. Wait for the ambulance." She pleaded with him.

"Kate, I need you to trust me. There's no time to wait. He's going to die if he doesn't get some air. Do you trust me, trust that I would never do anything to hurt him?" Jack asked.

"Yes." She mumbled, nodding her head and holding her tears back.

"You! Tell them there's a doctor on site doing an emergency tracheotomy." Jack barked at the waiter who was still talking with the 9-1-1 operator.

Jack spotted the nurse woman coming toward him. He looked at the scared faces of the children and back over to Kate.

"Kate, I know you don't want to leave his side, but I need you to take the kids and go stand over there. They don't need to see this and neither do you." He said calmly, looking directly into her eyes and doing his best to assure her everything would be okay with just a look.

"I found a razor blade." The woman said and handed it to him.

Jack took the razor blade from her. He closed his eyes for about five seconds and then carefully made the cut into the boy's throat.

"The trachea is pretty swollen. They need to hurry with that epinephrine." He mumbled to the woman who was assisting him as he pushed his finger into the slit he'd just made.

She cut the straw in half and handed it to him. He carefully inserted the straw into the opening and lowered his head and breathed into it with two quick breaths, waited five seconds and breathed into it again. He kept this up until Simon began to move. He lifted his head and looked up. The boy's eyes were open and he looked scared and confused. He started to talk and Jack stopped him.

"Shh….don't try to talk buddy. You're going to be okay. You want mommy?" He asked.

Simon nodded and Jack waved Kate over to them.

"He's going to be okay Kate, just comfort him and don't let him try to pull that straw out. I'll go stand with the kids." Jack said.

"Stay with us Jack. Please." She pleaded.

The woman who'd been helping him offered to go stand with the children and he stayed with Kate and Simon, holding her hand with his left hand and Simon's hand with his right hand. When the ambulance arrived he managed to pull Kate away so they could do what they needed to do. He convinced her to ride in the ambulance with Simon and followed behind in the SUV with the kids. By the time the ambulance arrived at the hospital, the epinephrine had done its job and Simon was ready to have the tube removed from his throat. He couldn't go home though. The pediatrician wanted to keep him for at least a day so they could run allergy tests on him.

Candice, ever the life saver, came to the hospital, picked up the other five children and took them home. Jack sat in the chair next to Simon's bed with Kate in his lap, her head on his shoulder and him slowly moving his hand up and down her arm. Simon was sleeping soundly and they were taking a moment to finally breathe.

"You were right. Why was I so stupid? My god, what if that had happened while I was alone with him." She said sadly.

"Don't do that to yourself Kate. You are a great mother and like any great mother, your first instinct is to shield your babies from unnecessary pain. Besides, if you want to blame someone, blame the pediatricians who haven't insisted he be tested before now." Jack said.

"A doctor is suggesting I blame another doctor? Isn't that breaking some kind of code Jack?" She asked.

"Yes, but I'm making an exception only because it's you and I trust you'd never let it go beyond you and me. Doctors are human and make mistakes all the time and some are just lazy. But, pediatrics isn't my specialty and neither are allergies so maybe I was just being hypervigilant about it because I care about him and testing wasn't deemed necessary until now." He offered.

"You saved his life Jack and that moment when you asked me to trust you was the first time since we started this relationship that I knew deep in my heart how much I truly do trust you. I can't even begin to describe how much I love you right this minute." She said, sitting up, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Per your requests, some fluff and some smut and perhaps even some fluffy smut. ; ) Enjoy and thanks for reading and for all of the kind reviews!**_

Several weeks had passed and the Christmas holiday was approaching fast. In those few weeks they'd made significant strides in becoming a family, but there were still significant strides to be made. Simon had been released from the hospital the evening following his admission. The tests revealed that he was allergic to pretty much all the usual things like pollen and mold. He had a mild allergy to peanuts, which the pediatrician and Jack both agreed had been contributing significantly to his asthma attacks. The child consumed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich daily and that had to be stopped. He was highly allergic to shell fish and bee stings and they were armed with EpiPens should he happen to accidentally encounter either in the future. He would need to take regular allergy shots, but the feeling was that he would most likely outgrow most of the allergies and the asthma. The allergies to shellfish and bees would most likely be something he'd need to keep an eye on for life though.

There was a winter dance being sponsored by the school and Carly had been asked by the eighth grader she thought was so hot. She wanted to go badly, but knew her dad would say no so she'd gone to Kate with the news. Kate made no promises other than a promise to talk to her dad about it. Kate had been waiting for the right moment to talk to him, but she soon realized there was no good or right moment to tell a man that his little girl had been asked to a dance by an older boy, so as they lay enjoying some post coital cuddling, she decided to dive in.

"The kids will be getting out of school for the holidays soon." She said.

"Mmmm, yeah. I feel bad for you. You'll be alone with six excited kids every day for a couple of weeks." He said softly and placed a soft kiss on her shoulder, the rest of his body cocooned around her.

"It won't be so bad. They entertain each other for the most part. We do need to get out and finish the Christmas shopping though. Are you going to be available this weekend?" She asked.

"I'm always available to cute, hot, sexy brunettes." He mumbled into her ear, obviously very sleepy from the sex they'd just shared.

"Oh really, just any brunette?" She feigned jealousy.

"No, just the one I've got my arms around." He sighed happily and nibbled on the sensitive spot just below her ear.

"Jack I'm serious." She giggled at the nibbling.

"I am serious. I'm yours baby, day or night." He said and encouraged her to roll over so he could look at her.

"Are you on call this weekend?" She asked.

"I am. I had to be so I could have Christmas weekend free and clear, but we can still go shopping. I'll only be called in if some crisis hits the ER or if one of my colleagues' patients takes a turn for the worse." He said.

"Good because they're going to be baking with Candice Saturday, so we already have a babysitter." She said.

"Good ole Candice. We need to get her something really great for Christmas." Jack said.

"Got any ideas?" Kate asked.

"I've got nothing. She's an active, wealthy woman who needs nothing as far as I can tell." Jack sighed.

"She collects Hummels." Kate offered.

"What's a Hummel?" Jack asked

"Those little figurines she has all over that one wall in her house. When you collect things it's always kind of nice if there is a memory attached to some of them. I think she'd like to have a new collectible that came from her surrogate grandchildren." Kate said.

"Okay, but shouldn't we get her something else?" Jack asked.

"We can, but those little figurines are quite expensive so maybe you might want to wait until we pick one out and see how generous you're still feeling." Kate told him and laughed lightly.

"What about you? What would you like Santa to bring you?" He asked and pulled her closer, nuzzling her neck.

"I have more right now than I ever dreamed possible." She said and kissed him softly.

"We've been invited to a New Year's Eve party at a swanky hotel. Would you like to go?" He asked.

"Hmmm….probably. Speaking of dancing, there's something….." She began, but was interrupted by him.

"Were we speaking of dancing?" He chuckled.

"There will dancing at the swanky hotel won't there?" She asked.

"I don't know. Maybe." He said.

"Anyway, speaking of dancing, there is going to be a winter dance at school next Thursday night and a boy invited Carly." Kate said.

Jack lowered his face into her bosom and groaned.

"You don't play fair Kate." He mumbled into her cleavage.

"What do you mean?" She asked and encouraged him to look at her.

"You wait until I'm lying here with a beautiful, naked woman in my arms, a naked woman I'm seriously considering making love to one more time before we call it a night, and I'm supposed to say no to something that you obviously think I should let her do?" He pretended to whine.

"What makes you think I think you should let her do this?" She asked and placed a soft kiss on his temple.

"Because if you didn't, you would've presented it differently. Is it a boy in her class?" He asked.

"No, it's the hot eighth grader she's been going on about for awhile." Kate said.

He untangled himself from her and propped himself up on his elbow.

"No." He said firmly.

"Jack, would you at least just sleep on it?" Kate asked.

"I don't need to sleep on it. She's not going to a dance with a boy who is that much older than her." He said.

"He's really not that much older Jack. He's 13 and Carly is 12. If Carly's birthday hadn't fallen the way it did she would be in the 7th grade and if he hadn't been so smart he skipped a grade he would be in the 7th grade, so see they are basically the same age." Kate argued on behalf of Carly.

"He's smart?" Jack asked.

"Yes, and he's very polite and sweet. It's just a school dance Jack and I'll be there chaperoning. She'll go with me, meet the boy there, and come home with me." Kate said.

"Is it the whole school, because I don't want her at a dance with a bunch of high school kids." Jack said.

"It is for the middle school and the high school, but there will be plenty of teachers on hand to make sure there will be no shenanigans. Do you trust me to keep her safe Jack?" Kate asked.

"I do, and if you think it's safe then I guess she can go, but can we please both agree that she is entirely too young to date." Jack sighed heavily and let his upper body drop back onto the pillows.

"Yes, we both agree on that. What age do you think is a good age to let her start dating?" Kate asked, amused by how flustered he was over the idea that his little girl had a date for a dance.

"Thirty." He grumbled, making her laugh.

"Jack, you have to let the girl experience life, at least just a little." Kate said.

"No I don't." He said.

"Jack." She sighed.

"Okay, I guess I do have to let her experience life at some point. She can go out on an actual date where the boy comes to pick her up when she's 16 if she wants to." He conceded.

"That sounds reasonable." Kate said.

"Then we both agree and no matter what we don't back down?" He asked.

"Jack, that's four years away." She laughed lightly.

"Yeah, but we have to be prepared for this stuff. There are six of them and only two of us. Their first order of business will be to divide and conquer so we have to agree that we don't budge on decisions like this, no matter how convincing they are." He said.

She moved in on him, her naked body covering his as she kissed him tenderly.

"You are so adorable when you're being forced to allow one of your babies to take a step without you there to hold their hand. I won't let anything happen to her Jack. I promise." She said and kissed him again.

They managed to finish their Christmas shopping on Saturday and on Sunday they took the children to the mall to let them shop. Since there were six of them, they put their names in a hat and let each child draw a name and that would be the person they would be buying a gift for.

Carly showed Jack the skirt and boots she'd shown Kate the day they went bra shopping and asked if she could have them as an early Christmas present so she could wear them to the dance. As Kate had suspected the day Carly had shown them to her, he vehemently refused to buy them for her. They argued back and forth and he bit his tongue before he asked her why she wanted to dress like a two dollar whore, not wanting to hurt the child's feelings, but wanting to at the same time. Kate quickly stepped between them and while Jack and Kenny took the younger children to see Santa, she began the task of helping Carly pick out a more suitable outfit.

"I don't want a new outfit Kate. I'm just going to tell Garrett I'm not going to the dance." Carly said sadly.

"Carly, your dad is willing to let you buy a new outfit a week before Christmas. Take advantage of it." She said and held up a pair of pants and shirt for her to look at.

"He's never going to let me grow up." Carly sighed and shook her head no at the outfit.

"No honey, he's just trying to make sure you don't try to grow up too fast. He's right about the skirt and the boots. They're slutty." She said.

"He didn't say they were slutty." Carly argued.

"No, but he wanted to. He just decided not to disappoint you and hurt your feelings all at once. How about this?" She asked and held up a skirt and blouse.

"No, it's supposed to be fun Kate, not formal. That skirt would've been fun." Carly continued to pout.

"Maybe, but not as much fun as these pants and this shirt with your new Uggs." Kate said and felt a wave of relief when the girl's eyes lit up.

"I'm getting the Uggs?" She asked excitedly.

"Of course you are." Kate laughed lightly at her excitement.

"How'd you convince daddy to buy them?" She asked.

"I didn't. He knew how much you wanted them and decided you were old enough and responsible enough to have a pair of boots that cost so much money." Kate explained.

Jack stood next to a half wall, the five children lined up beside him, sitting on the wall munching on a candy cane. Kendall and Tucker had more of the candy cane on their hands and face than in their stomach. He saw Kate and Carly approaching and hoped that his daughter didn't hate him too much. She ran to him excitedly, threw her arms around his waist and hugged him.

"What was that for?" He asked and leaned down so she could whisper in his ear.

"Thank you for buying me the Uggs daddy. You're awesome. I promise I will take very good care of them." She said and kissed him on the cheek.

"I see we've made a compromise." Jack said and looked at Kate who just tiredly shrugged at him.

"It's okay daddy. I'm not a baby. I can get a present early and not be upset on Christmas morning. I know it's my big present and won't be expecting much else. I'm going to look so good in those new pants with those new boots and I won't look slutty." She told him making him chuckle lightly.

They gathered the children, took the two youngest ones to the bathroom to clean up their hands and faces and left the mall. The kids and the parents were all tired and hungry. They made a quick trip through a drive-thru restaurant, took them home, fed them, bathed them and put them to bed. With the last child tucked in securely for the night, he entered the bedroom expecting to find Kate sound asleep, but instead he heard the sound of water running. He closed and locked the door and began stripping out of his clothes, leaving a trail from the door to the bathroom. He reached for the shower door, opened it and stepped inside behind her, closing the door and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Is that you Jack?" She asked innocently.

"Who else would be?" He asked.

"I take in lovers to keep me company when you're working long hours. I thought maybe one of them got confused and showed up tonight." She teased.

"That's not funny Kate." He said and turned her around to face him.

"I don't know, seeing jealousy in your eyes over men who don't exist is kind of funny." She giggled and then let out a shocked moan when he swatted her bottom.

He slipped his hand between her legs from behind and shot her a satisfied smirk.

"Can any of them make you wet with one little swat to your perfect, little round ass?" He asked in a sexy tone, his eyes dark with desire.

"I was wet the minute I heard you open the shower door, the swat almost made me come." She told him, no longer in the mood to tease, but definitely in the mood to let him pound the stress of the day out of her.

He brought his mouth to hers and they kissed at a feverish pace, the water flowing over them and keeping their already heated bodies warm and eager. His hands moved over her body, caressing her breasts and then slipping between her legs again. He slipped a finger inside of her and she began panting as she ground her body against his, trying desperately to get a good enough grip for him to lift her and plunge into her. He had other plans though.

He put some space between, a move that earned him a whimper and pretty little pout. He lowered his head and took one of her nipples into his mouth, sucking softly and gently, the contrast to how excited they both were surprisingly turning her on more. He slowly pushed her toward the wall of the shower until her back was pressed against it and he dropped to his knees. He pulled one of her legs over his shoulder and buried his face in her pussy, sucking and licking wildly as she moaned and squealed and fought to get away from the sensations that were driving her crazy, her clit too sensitive to be touched, but also needing to be touched. She felt the tugging in her lower abdomen as he hit just the right spot and was pulling her to the edge, the edge where she'd spill over and no longer be able to hold her body up. He held to her hips firmly, keeping her pinned against the wall and also safe from losing her balance. He sucked her clit into his mouth, pinning it gently between his teeth and teasing the very tip with his tongue and then releasing it. He repeated the process until he felt her grab two handfuls of his hair and shove his head into her crotch and pin him there, her body convulsing against the shower wall.

"Oh….MY….GOD…..JACK!" She screamed, making him smile against her pussy and hold firmly to her body so that she wouldn't fall.

She let go of his hair and slowly pulled her leg away from his shoulder and brought her foot to the floor of the shower. She felt like a piece of spaghetti and wondered if she'd have the energy to towel herself off and get ready for bed. He slowly stood and looked into her glassy eyes.

"You okay babe?" He asked and pulled her into his arms, his hardness pinned between them.

"Yeah, I just need a minute. That was pretty intense Jack." She mumbled.

"Come on, I'll help you dry off and get ready for bed." He offered.

"No, you're not satisfied. I'm fine, let's finish." She said.

"We can finish later. Come on." He said and turned the water off.

He stepped out of the shower, threw a towel around his waist and held a towel out for her to step into. He wrapped it around her body and pulled her into him. They held one another for a few minutes and he thought she'd gone to sleep when she finally spoke.

"I'm sorry Jack, I'm exhausted and that was just too good. It wore me out." She apologized.

"Good, that's what it was supposed to do. Come on, let's go to bed." He said, tugging the shower cap off of her head and allowing their towels to drop.

They walked to the bed and met in the middle, she curled up in his arms and was asleep almost instantly. He kissed the side of her head softly and smiled at how peaceful and happy she looked. He left the bedside lamp on so he could watch her sleep and at some point he drifted off himself, awoken later by soft kisses gliding over his rock hard penis, the dream he thought he was having apparently a reality. When he felt her mouth envelop him he reached down and pulled her away, encouraging her to slide up so he could look at her. She slid up and kissed him on the mouth while she reached between them and guided him to her opening, both of them moaning as they quickly became one, him sitting up and holding her close in his lap.

"Mmm...so hard." She panted and pushed him back onto the bed.

"Just for you, always for you." He breathed heavily and pulled her in for a wet, passionate kiss.

She began rocking over him, feeling him slide in and out and feeling so hot and horny that she wanted to bite and scratch, anything to release the desire that was so intense she felt like she might explode and she could tell he was feeling it too. His entire body was sweating and he was gripping her hip so hard she was sure it would leave a bruise. He let go of her hip and grabbed a hand full of her butt cheek, squeezing it hard and encouraging her to fuck him harder, knowing she was close and wanting to feel and watch the sweet release she was about to experience.

"Faster. Concentrate." He growled and slapped her butt hard.

"Oh god...again..." She panted and nearly screamed when she felt his hand land another hard swat to her already stinging ass.

She sat up straight, cupping her breasts in her hands and bounced on him hard a few more times before clamping down on him and coming hard, her trembling body falling forward onto his. He moved his hands over her back gently and wanted to scream how much he loved this woman loud enough for the world to hear, but instead he latched onto the soft skin on her shoulder and marked her, his own release building and his desire for her coming close to being out of control. He lifted her off of him and she rolled onto her back, opening her legs and welcoming him as he sat on his knees looking down at her like a hungry animal about to devour its prey. He ran his fingers through her slippery folds, playing with her pussy and making her squirm.

"Do you want me to make you come with my hand?" He asked, his voice dark and hoarse.

She could see the need in his eyes, not to mention the desperate need his swollen cock was displaying and she recognized the situation. He was teetering on the edge and working to calm himself down, but she didn't want him to calm down, she wanted him to pour all of that hunger and need into her. She rolled over and went up onto her hands and knees, glancing back over her shoulder at him with a fuck me hard look that answered any questions he had about what she wanted.

She smiled and groaned when he thrust himself into her and began pumping, slowly at first to establish a rhythm and then hard and almost unforgiving and it was incredible. She loved it when she could make him want her this much and she loved to egg it on, begging him to fuck her harder and faster. His hands were gripping her back and sides firmly and she was working her own hand between her legs while he moved in and out of her at a pace that would no doubt leave his muscles talking back to him the next day and they wouldn't have anything nice to say. She could feel another orgasm building and began to pant and moan. He pushed her hand out of the way and replaced it with his own, rubbing her clit while he slowed down to long, deep thrusts, ready to fill her up and needing her to join him. He stopped, pushed in as deep as he could go and let go, his hot seed spilling out of him and into her and suddenly all she could see was the bright white light as she placed her hand over his and held it firmly to her crotch, the orgasm rocking her body hard. He carefully took them down to the mattress, her beneath him and he buried deep inside, the last of him slowly spurting into her.

They lay in each other's arms, their bodies cooling and the fog in their heads slowly clearing.

"Best sex ever." He mumbled.

"Yeah, that'd be hard to top." She agreed.

"We should go to bed at 9 PM and wake up for sex at 11 PM more often." He mused.

"Well, it wasn't supposed to be sex, it was supposed to be a blow job for you, but I can't say I'm unhappy with how things worked out." She told him.

"I wasn't too rough was I?" He asked.

"You were deliciously rough. If anyone would've told me that having my ass slapped could have that affect on me I would've told them they were crazy." She said and snuggled in closer to him.

"Would you believe you're the only woman I've ever done that to?" He asked.

"Really? Should I be worried?" She chuckled.

"No, it's because no other woman has ever been able to get me that worked up. Of course now I'll never be able to spank one of my children again without feeling like a pervert so perhaps it was an evil plot by you and your anti-corporal punishments ways to get me to stop spanking my children all along." He teased.

"Yes, that's it. It's a dirty job, but someone had to do it." She giggled.

"You were so tired early, I'm really surprised you woke up." He said.

"That was just exhaustion. Shopping with six kids in a crowded mall at Christmas time is insane. We need to rethink that next year. Oh, and I'm sorry about spilling the beans on the Uggs. I was hot, tired, and nauseous and got desperate." She said.

"Nauseous?" He asked.

"Yeah, I get that way when I don't eat all day." She said.

"Why didn't you say something? I would've sprung for a mall pretzel." He teased and kissed her.

"My hero." She said and kissed him back.

"Don't worry about the boots. I probably would've done the same thing. If she ends up upset on Christmas morning it's a lesson learned for her. I don't think she'll be upset though. When she sees that make-up kit you convinced me she needed she'll be proclaiming this the best Christmas ever." He said.

"She's always wanting to experiment with my make-up. Now she'll have her own. It's a right of passage for girls entering puberty Jack. Don't boys have something similar?" She asked.

"Yeah, a bottle of baby oil and a lock on their bedroom door." He chuckled and she slapped lightly at him.

"Will you help Kenny out with that?" She asked, her tone serious.

"No baby, that's the sort of thing boys figure out on their own. It's not difficult. If it feels good keep doing it. If it hurts, stop." He said.

"Jack, I'm serious." She said.

"So am I, and yes Kate, when we notice that he's locking himself away, I'll find a way to let him know it's perfectly normal without humiliating him." Jack said and gave her a light squeeze.

"You're so good for them Jack, especially Kenny. He's at the age where he really needs a positive male influence in his life and he idolizes you." She said.

"The girls feel the same way about you. We're going to get there Kate, I promise." He said.

"Get where?" She asked.

"To the point where they are no longer your children and my children, but our children. To the point where we feel like it's okay and perfectly natural to act like a parent to them, instead of their new playmate. Who knows, maybe some day we'll just become plain ole mom and dad to all of them." He said hopefully.

"I think I would cry if I ever heard the boys calling you dad in the trusting, loving manner that most children address their father." She said.

"Yeah I know, the idea of the girls, especially Jordie, feeling that kind of trust and security makes me pretty happy. Do you suppose the kids will cooperate and let us have our fairy tale?" He asked mostly serious, but joking a little in an attempt to lighten things back up.

"I don't know. The two little ones are easy. We can bribe them with cookies." She teased.

"We'll just have one of our own. When he or she starts calling us mommy and daddy they won't want to be left out. Kids can be kind of childish about that sort of thing." He teased back.

"Do you think we'd ever really add to this tribe?" She asked.

"Sure, why not? In a few years the two oldest ones will be old enough to babysit and change diapers." He said.

"I like it when you talk about us years into the future." She said and kissed the side of his neck.

"I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my life Kate. We're going to make forever together." He told her, sitting up and rolling her onto her back and kissing her passionately.

"I love you too Jack, more than anything. Do you want to make love again?" She asked, more of an actual question than an expressed desire.

"Do you want me to make love to you?" He asked.

"Always, but I'm kind of sore." She admitted.

"Yeah, me too and to be perfectly honest, I don't think I could get my little soldier to stand at attention any time soon." He told her and kissed her softly.

"Baby, that soldier is anything but little. How about we just make out until we're ready to go back to sleep? We haven't laid around and kissed like teenagers for awhile." She said, rolling herself partially onto his body and capturing his lips with hers, never giving him a chance to respond.


	19. Chapter 19

He entered the closet to grab a tie and stopped. She was standing in front of the racks of clothes on her side of the closet in her bra and panties looking distressed. He moved in behind her, slithered his sleeve covered arms around her waist and kissed the side of her neck.

"What are you doing Kate?" He mumbled into her neck.

"I'm trying to find something to wear." She huffed and shooed him away from her neck, clearly aggravated, but not necessarily with him.

"Kate there are enough clothes in here to open your own store." He remarked and then backed away when she turned on him.

"They don't fit Jack and it's your fault!" She accused, poking a hard finger into his chest.

"Me? What did I do?" He asked doing his best not to laugh.

"You feed me too much. I've never eaten like I've been eating the last couple of months in my entire life and now I'm fat and we're going to make some changes around here buddy. Hope you like salad." She grumbled and he finally let go of a light chuckle.

"Kate, you're not fat. You were obviously too thin because I'm looking at you right now and you're absolutely gorgeous." He said.

"I am not. Look at me. I'm disgusting. How can you even stand to look at me." She argued and patted her belly.

He moved in on her again, placing his hands on her panty clad hips and pulling her into him. He squeezed her bottom lightly and moved his hands around and over her stomach. He moved his mouth to her ear and spoke softly.

"Baby, you are anything but disgusting. Do I need to make both of us late for work and the kids late for school in order to prove it?" He asked and slipped his fingers inside the elastic of her panties, playing with the fabric while gently caressing the soft skin underneath.

"But what am I supposed to wear? Everything feels too tight." She sighed, enjoying the feel of his warm, sympathetic hands.

"I guess Santa will have to bring you a shopping spree to your favorite store. You're not fat Kate, you're healthy. Besides, according to the song, fat-bottomed girls make the world go round." He teased and laughed as she laughed and slapped at his chest.

He watched her finally settle on a skirt and blouse and walk out of the closet with the garments in her hands. As he watched her walk away he took a good look at her body and for a brief moment the question entered his mind. He shook his head and quickly dismissed the notion.

"That's not possible." He mumbled.

"What's not possible?" She asked startling him.

"Huh, oh nothing. Hey, have you been snooping for presents in here?" He asked as he noticed that the normally neatly aligned row of his dress shoes were askew.

"Jack, I'm a little old for that. It was probably one of the kids." She laughed lightly.

"Have you noticed any of them being in here?" He asked.

"I sent Carly in last night to grab your shirts and ties for the dry cleaner. Why?" Kate asked.

"It's Christmas time Kate. No questions and no snooping." He told her trying to sound stern and serious and failing miserably.

"You're pretty cute when you're trying to be intimidating. Come on. We need to feed the troops and get going." She said and kissed him.

"I'll be there in a minute." He said and waited for her to leave the bedroom.

He pulled the shoe down and reached inside. It was gone. He searched through the other shoes in case he'd just forgotten which shoe he'd put it in, but came up empty.

"Dammit!" He cursed under his breath.

Jack entered the kitchen just in time to see Tucker dump his glass of juice in his lap.

"Aw Tuck, mommy doesn't have time for this today." Kate groaned and grabbed a towel.

"I'll get it Kate." Jack said as he took the towel from her.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yes, I've got it. I said I'd take the kids to school today so you could get to school early and get your grades entered and trust me, it's not my first breakfast spill, so go." He said.

"Thank you. I owe you. I love you. I'll see you tonight." She said, kissing him quickly on the mouth and rushing out of the room.

He stood with the towel in his hand, waiting for her to return. She ran back into the kitchen, quickly kissed each child on the top of the head, and kissed him once more.

"I can't believe I was going to leave without telling the children goodbye. The body is the first to go, then the mind, right?" She mumbled making him chuckle lightly.

"Your body and your mind are beautiful, now go, get those grades entered, see how many young children's Christmas you can ruin." He teased.

It was the last day of school before the Christmas break and to say the children were excited would be an understatement. He finally managed to get them corralled into the SUV with their gifts and goodies for their classes tucked safely away into their backpacks. With the boys dropped off and safely inside their classrooms he drove to the girls' school. He parked the SUV and reached over and gently took hold of Carly's arm as she began to unfasten her seatbelt.

"Stay here. I want to talk to you." He said.

He quickly walked Jordan and Kendall to their classrooms and rejoined Carly in the SUV. She was looking guilty.

"Do you have something that belongs to me?" He asked, his tone suggesting he wasn't pleased with her at the moment.

She shamefully hung her head and reached into her backpack. She pulled out a small box and handed it to him.

"You actually had it with you? Carly? What?" He asked, opening the lid to the box to make sure the ring was still inside, completely flustered with her.

"I wanted to keep it with me in case I had a chance to sneak it back into your shoe before we left this morning." She said.

"Do you have any idea how expensive this is? You were just going to carry it around in your backpack all day? What if you'd lost it? Why did you take it in the first place?" He asked doing his best to keep his voice calm.

"I didn't mean to Dad. I was looking at it and Kate came into the bedroom so I just hurried up and shoved it into the pocket of my jeans. I never had a chance to put it back. I'm sorry." She explained.

"What were you doing snooping through my shoes?" He asked.

"It's Christmas dad. We snoop everywhere. Who knew you'd actually hide something in your shoes? You guys hid the presents really good. We can't find them anywhere." Carly sighed forcing him to bite back a grin.

She'd accidentally run across the ring he'd bought for Kate and wasn't hiding it on purpose, nor did she seem to be upset about what the ring meant. All the horrible scenarios that had been running though his mind weren't happening.

"Do you think she'll like it?" He asked his voice echoing a hint of doubt.

"She'll like it and she'll say yes dad." Carly said and smiled at him.

"So you're okay with it?" He asked.

"I bet nobody else in my class will be getting Uggs and a new mom and three brothers for Christmas." Carly said making him smile and let go of the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"You know you don't always have to be so tough Carly. You can tell me if this upsets you." He said.

"I know and it doesn't. It's kind of crazy having so many people in the house, but it's also kind of cool, you know, kind of like we're normal again." Carly said.

"I'm glad. You deserve normal." He said softly and kissed her forehead.

"When are you going to ask her?" Carly asked.

"Soon, but until then, it's our secret. Okay?" He said.

"I'm not a baby dad. I can keep really big secrets and I won't ruin your surprise. I promise." She said.

"Are you excited about tonight?" He asked and shoved the ring into his pocket.

"I'm nervous. I really like him dad. Do you think he'll try to kiss me?" Carly asked.

"_Okay Jack this is one of those important dad moments. She's opened up and is trusting you to be honest and understanding so don't freak out and blow it."_ He thought to himself as he looked at his daughter, her straight, soft, flawless brown hair hanging below her shoulders, the Christmas headband holding it back off her face and illuminating her bright delicate features and soft brown eyes.

"I think that you're beautiful sweetheart and that lots of boys are going to try to kiss you. Just always remember that you can say no if you don't want them to kiss you." He chose his words carefully.

"But what if I want him to kiss me dad and he doesn't? Should I kiss him if he doesn't try to kiss me?" She asked.

"That's a tough one Carly. Guys, they never really know if a girl wants to be kissed and sometimes we're just too shy or nervous to do it, but then there are also times when you just know it's the right thing to do. You just have to wait and see how it feels in the moment. Carly, as your father, I have to say that I think you're too young to be kissing boys and I'm talking about real kisses, not innocent little pecks on the lips. I'm not going to sit here and order you not to do it, but I just want you to make sure it's something you really want here (points to her heart) and not here (points to her head). Those things can be wonderful when you're doing it with someone you really care about and I don't want you to cheat yourself out of one second of wonderful because you're in a hurry to grow up and experience things you really aren't ready to experience yet." He offered in a kind, caring, understanding tone.

"Kate kind of said the same thing. She said that kissing you is like the 4th of July every single time and a girl should never settle for anything less than the 4th of July, but daddy if I don't kiss him how will I know whether or not Garrett is the 4th of July?" Carly asked.

"You'll have this feeling of anticipation that is like the 4th of July, Christmas and your birthday all wrapped into one. Carly, you really will and all I ask of you is that you don't try to force that feeling. I know you're curious and that you and your friends talk about this sort of thing every chance you get, but please, just try to have fun tonight and let whatever happens, happen and don't force it to happen because your girlfriends are pressuring you." He said.

"Okay dad and don't forget, you promised to be home by six so Kate can help me get ready and we can leave by seven." She said.

"I won't forget. I even told my office assistant to make sure I get out of there by 5:30. You better get inside. Don't want to be late on party day." He said.

She leaned across the seat, kissed him on the cheek and hugged him.

"I love you dad, so much and I'm glad you're going to marry Kate because I love her too. This is going to be the best Christmas ever." She said as she poured all the love she had for him into the mother of all hugs, holding him tight and unable to see the tears forming in his eyes.

He rushed through the door ready to apologize at approximately 6:20 PM and was met by the glaring eyes of his oldest daughter. The look on her face made him lose the desire to apologize immediately, instead making him want to slap it away. Parents often entertained fantasies about slapping looks of complete disgust and disrespect off of their children's faces, luckily for Carly he was the type of parent who never acted on the fantasy.

"Don't look at me like that. I have no control over the traffic Carly." He told her.

"Yeah right Dad. Whatever." Carly huffed and rolled her eyes.

"There was an accident on the freeway. Traffic was backed up for miles. I tried to call, but your phone is turned off and Kate's kept going to voicemail. Where is everyone?" He asked.

"Kate's laying down with Kendall and Tucker and the other kids are in the family room. I don't think she's going to the dance dad. She's sick or something." Carly told him, bottom lip quivering and tears welling up in her eyes.

"She's probably just tired honey. Let me go check on her. Don't worry. You are going to the dance if I have to take you myself." He said.

He entered their bedroom and found her in the middle of the bed with Kendall on one side and Tucker on the other. All three were nestled snugly under the blanket and sleeping soundly. He hated to wake any of them, but the kids would never go bed later if he let them sleep much longer and as far as he knew Kate was obligated to show up to help with the dance whether Carly was attending or not. He sat on the bed and shook her gently. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, confused for a moment and then immediately panicked. She sat up quickly, the sudden movement waking Kendall and Tucker.

"What's going on? Where are the kids?" She asked.

"Hey, it's okay. The kids are fine. Two of them are right beside you. Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I think I'm just exhausted from the busy week we've had. What time is it?" She asked.

"It's almost 6:30." He said.

"Shit! Carly. She's probably freaking out. Tell her to get dressed and I'll be out in a few minutes to do the make-up I promised." She said.

"Daddy, Kate said a bad word." Kendall mumbled and crawled into his lap.

"Kate's a grown-up. She's allowed to say bad words once in awhile." He said, cuddling the sleepy child next to him and rubbing a hand over her back.

Kate slipped off the bed and into the bathroom. Jack gathered Tucker and Kendall, one in each arm and exited the bedroom. He found Carly pacing in the foyer where he left her.

"She said to get dressed and she'll be in to help you with the make-up she promised." He told her.

He walked into the family room and sat on the couch with the two sleepy children in his lap. Kenny and Simon were playing a video game and Jordan was coloring. He'd been sitting in the room with them for nearly ten minutes and nobody had said a word and he wasn't even sure if they realized he was sitting there.

"Hey guys." He finally said.

"Hi daddy." Jordan said quietly as the two boys turned and waved and turned their focus back to their game.

"No hugs or kisses for me tonight?" He asked.

"Your lap is full." She said and shrugged.

"Is everything okay?" He asked cautiously.

All three children looked at him, but none said anything.

"Okay, spill it. Who did what to whom?" He asked.

None of them spoke.

"Jordie hurt my tummy." Tucker told him and pulled his shirt up, revealing a long scratch that went diagonally over his stomach.

Jack rubbed his hand over the mean looking scratch gently and made eye contact with his daughter, who immediately looked away and down and continued to color her picture.

"She didn't mean to Jack. They were fighting over the advent calendar. Tucker was trying to open the last door and Jordan was trying to take it away from him. They were both pulling on it and mom told them to let go of it. Jordan let go and Tucker didn't and he fell backwards and scraped his stomach on the fireplace." Kenny explained.

"Kate was really mad, but not at me, just mad. She said we better find something quiet to do or go to bed and she took the two little kids and went to bed. I don't think she feels good dad so we're being quiet." Jordan said.

"Since you're home can we stop being so quiet?" Simon asked making him chuckle.

"Yes, please stop being so quiet. It's kind of freaking me out." He pleaded with them.

Kate entered the kitchen. It was just a little after seven o'clock. Jack was making hot dogs and macaroni and cheese for the kids.

"Hungry?" He asked.

"No, thanks and Carly won't eat either. She says she'll puke if she eats. I hope she doesn't get so worked up she throws up on the boy's shoes." Kate told him and welcomed his embrace and kiss.

"The kids said you weren't feeling well. Are you sure you're okay because I can take Carly to the dance." He said.

"I'm fine Jack. I was just really tired earlier. I feel like I could run a marathon after that nap I had." She said.

He pulled her close and hugged her, glancing over her shoulder and seeing his daughter enter the room. Her hair curled and flowing, no headband, and not a lot of make-up, but just enough to accent her features and make her look a little bit older than she was. Who was he kidding, the make-up stripped away her childlike features and made her even more beautiful that she already was. Stunning was the word that was on the tip of his tongue.

"I'm so not ready for this Kate." He said softly and pulled away from her.

"How do I look daddy?" Carly asked.

"You look beautiful. Are you sure you don't want me to be your date for the dance. You used to like to dance with me." He said with just a twinge of sadness.

"Dad, you promised you wouldn't do this." She sighed.

"I'm not doing anything." He said.

"Yes you are babe, but it's okay because every little girl should have a father that loves her that much." Kate said and kissed him softly.

"Can we go Kate?" Carly asked impatiently.

"Yes, we can go." Kate laughed lightly and escorted the excited child out of the house.

He was surprised when he heard the front door open at 9 PM. The dance wasn't supposed to be over until 11 PM. He abandoned the game of Candyland he was playing with the four youngest children and made his way toward the front of the house to investigate. He found Kate standing in the foyer with a grocery sack.

"What's going on? Where's Carly?" He asked.

"She's sitting out on the swing on the front porch." Kate said.

"Why? What happened?" He asked.

"Garrett didn't show up. He texted her and told her he was sick and that he'd make it up to her. She was disappointed, but okay enough to want to hang out with her friends at the dance. Later someone texted her a picture of Garrett and Elisa Cooper at the skating rink. They were kissing. He wasn't sick. He just got a better offer. Well, not necessarily better, because I can't imagine anything being better than spending an evening with Carly, but better in the sense that Elisa is a busty 15 year old girl on the fast track to getting pregnant before she graduates high school. She's crushed Jack." Kate said sadly.

"Damn. I should go talk to her." He said.

"You should, but you need to let her come to you Jack. She's feeling humiliated and rejected and she is going to eventually seek comfort in her father's love, but right now she just wants to stew and then when she comes in we're going to wallow in it together." Kate said and gestured at the sack she was holding.

"What's in the bag?" He asked.

"The cure for idiot boys that break our hearts of course." She said and smiled at him.

"And what exactly is the cure?" He asked.

"Ice cream and cookies." She answered.

"Oh really? What happened to changing things around her and threatening me with rabbit food?" He asked.

"Silly man, women don't go on diets in the middle of the holidays, that's what new year's resolutions are for and no woman ever leaves another woman alone to indulge in comfort food. It's always at the very least, a team effort." Kate told him, making him laugh lightly.

"So how do you plan on indulging in ice cream and cookies with Carly without five other little people demanding their share? Kendall has a sixth sense when it comes to cookies and ice cream. I'm surprised she's not already wrapped around your legs begging for some." He teased.

Jack sat back on the couch watching the three boys enjoy their ice cream and cookies, too excited about being allowed to eat in the family room and play video games while eating ice cream to care that they weren't welcome in the kitchen with Kate and the girls. He glanced over at the awkward Christmas tree. It wasn't perfect by any means, clumps of ornaments in some places and other places bare, but it was full of love and the innocence of children and the magic that Christmas is for them and that made it perfect. His little girl had had her heart broken for the first time, but she had a wonderful mother figure helping her through it as well as the sympathy of her two sisters. Yes, it was perfect.

Six months ago he never would've believed he would have a date for New Year's Eve, nor would he have desired one, but if everything went as planned he would be attending the party with his fiancée, a fiancée who was showing all the tale-tale signs of pregnancy, even though that shouldn't be possible. An outsider would find the idea of adding another child to the mix insane, but as he sat and listened to the happy giggles coming from the kitchen and watched the three young boys he was growing to love more and more every day, he could only find the idea perfect.

Was it all too perfect? Normally, he would've gone there and been too terrified to enjoy the pleasures life had lay before him for fear of losing it, but that irrational fear wasn't inside of him tonight. Tonight he felt as content as he ever had in his entire adult life and obviously their new life and their new situation was far from perfect, but to him, it was everything he'd always wanted from life, but never believed he'd have.

As he made love to her she could tell that he was giving her everything he had and then some. She couldn't imagine what had brought this on, this need to love her and make sure she understood how loved she was, but she wasn't complaining. She'd never been loved like he loved her and when he was having moments of reflection, moments when he needed to make sure she knew she held his heart the way no one ever had before, she could only hope that she was conveying the same back to him times ten.

They lay in each other's arms, both physically and emotionally spent, her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat while his hand traced soft, lazy circles over her back.

"Carly looked so pretty tonight. She's going to be a heartbreaker." Kate said.

"I hope not. I hope this incident with Garrett has turned her off of boys for life." He huffed.

"Yeah, like that's going to happen." Kate laughed lightly.

"I'm glad she had you to wallow in it with her." Jack said softly.

"I'm glad she let me wallow in it with her. Did you two have a nice talk?" Kate asked.

"She talked, I listened. She wanted to know if I ever treated girls badly when I was a kid." Jack said.

"And did you?" Kate asked.

"I don't know Kate, I probably did at some point and that's what I told her. I also told her that there was probably going to come a day when she leaves some boy feeling as awful as she felt tonight, not because she's an awful person, but because people make mistakes. Even though I kid around and say I hope she's turned off of boys for life, I don't want her to ever be that bitter. I want her to always be able to forgive and move on. I want all of our kids to find the kind of love we have one day." He said.

"Aw, that's so sweet. What's gotten into you tonight? You're so squishy and loving and that was a lot of passion earlier." She said.

"You deserve squishy and loving and passion. Are you as happy as I am Kate?" He asked.

"Not even close." She said and looked up at him.

"Oh." He said, looking down at her with a hint of disappointment.

"I'm way happier than you are, so happy I can't even put it into words so I'll just have to show you." She said with a smile as she slowly snaked up and over his body and captured his mouth in a wet, passionate kiss that would lead to things that would leave no doubt in his mind as to just how happy she was.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Hey all, sorry for the delay. Life and the holidays are kicking my butt. Thanks for all your kind words and I hope you enjoy!**_

She could feel the light kisses on her shoulder and smiled, refusing to open her eyes, but enjoying the attention none the less.

"It's time to wake up Kate." He said softly as he planted more feather light kisses along her neck.

"There's no school today, can't we sleep in?" She grumbled, still refusing to open her eyes.

"Baby, it's past noon." He said, causing her eyes to pop open.

"Seriously?" She asked.

"Yeah and we promised the kids lunch at In-N-Out and then Disneyland ." He said.

She moved to extract herself from the bed and he moved as well, standing beside the bed and grabbing onto her as she stumbled.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, just dizzy, I think I got up too fast. Let me grab a quick shower and I'll be ready to go." She told him and disappeared into the bathroom.

He sat on the bed, debating whether or not he should go talk to her and deciding it could wait. If she was pregnant, she would still be pregnant in a day or two. He'd just keep an eye on her until they talked, make sure she was eating and not being reckless with her body. He exited the bedroom and went to check on the kids. They were sitting quietly in the family room. He loved Christmas Eve. It was the one day a year six children could be together in the same room and all behaving especially since the Santa threat still worked on four of them.

"As soon as Kate comes out we can go." Jack said, sitting down and pulling Tucker into his lap so he could put his shoes on the right feet.

"Uh oh." Tucker said as he watched Jack pull his shoes off.

"Tuck, we've really got to work on this. Left foot, left shoe, right foot, right shoe." Jack explained holding each shoe in front of the appropriate foot.

"Right foot." Tucker said and held up his left leg and foot, making Jack chuckle lightly.

"Dad, can I ride the scary rides this year?" Jordan asked.

"If you want to." Jack said.

"If I don't want to will you still ride the teacups with me?" Jordan asked.

"I can't wait to ride the teacups." Jack answered with a smile.

"What's the teacups?" Kenny asked.

"They're giant teacups that spin around. Dad, me and Kenny want to ride the big rides. Will you and Kate stay with the little kids while we ride them?" Carly asked.

"My mom's never rode any of the rides. I have to ride some with her." Kenny objected.

"We'll work it out guys. There will probably be some rides that not everyone wants to ride." Jack told them.

The trip to Disneyland went well. Kenny and Carly were allowed to go off on their own as long as they checked in with them a couple of hours later. Jordan and Kendall latched onto Kate's hands and eagerly led her around to all of their favorite rides. He supposed he should've felt a little jealous or slighted, but he didn't, the sight of his two daughters happily skipping through the happiest place on earth with a woman who was growing to love them in a motherly way made his heart skip a beat and the more they wanted to be with her and share with her the happier he became. What he didn't know was that Kate was watching him interact with Simon and Tucker and experiencing the same feeling of happiness as she watched her two little boys hang on his every word and stick to his side everywhere they went.

Carly and Kenny returned within the two hour time limit and surprisingly didn't want to separate from the group again. They did however decide that the Space Mountain and Indiana Jones roller coasters were too intense to ride without their parents so Jack ended up riding both numerous times, splitting his time between Kenny and Carly. Kate claimed she was too big of a chicken to ride, but he suspected that she was feeling nauseous and doing her best to tough it out because the woman he knew wouldn't be afraid of a roller coaster.

After the fireworks show they left the park and found a restaurant. It was actually an IHOP, but the kids loved eating breakfast for dinner. The two youngest children were nodding off during the meal. The kids had gotten up early that day and now at approximately 8:30 PM, they were all yawning and ready to call it a night.

With the children tucked in securely, Kate convinced Jack to soak in a hot bath with her. She knew he had to be exhausted and probably even a little sore from carrying at least one 40 pound child on his hip throughout the day. As they relaxed in the hot water, his back against the back of the tub and her back against his chest, he moved his hand gently over her stomach. He had a plan in the works, one that would let him know by the end of the night if he was about to be a father again.

The plan was that while Kate tucked the children in she'd ask him if he could run to the drugstore and get her something for a headache to get him out of the house. He would be driving to the storage building that housed Kate's things as well as the kids' Christmas, not to the drug store. Unbeknownst to her, he did stop at the drug store on the way back and purchased a pregnancy test.

She rolled over so she was lying on top of him and kissed him. As much as he would've loved to get busy with her in the bathtub, he had other plans, romantic plans, and he would never get to implement them if they started this because it would go from the bathtub to the bed and two or three hours later they'd realize they still hadn't done the Santa thing and his plans would be thwarted so he reluctantly pulled out of the kiss.

"Baby, we need to get out and put Christmas out for the kids." He said.

"So you don't find the beached whale to be a turn-on huh?" She sighed, half teasing, half serious.

"I don't know, you tell me." He said with grin, knowing she was laying on top the part of him that was very turned on.

"A quickie would make that feel all better." She said seductively.

"It would, but I don't want a quickie. I want all of you for as long as you can stand it and I don't want the knowledge that there is no Christmas for the kids distracting me." He said sweetly and kissed her softly.

"Okay fine, you win and you get the better parent award for today." She said and moved off of him.

She had intended to just lay down on the couch while Jack unloaded the kids presents from the SUV. She awoke a couple of hours later just as he was putting the finishing touches the Barbie Dream House. She sat up and looked around the room. All the presents were placed under the tree and the wagon, big wheel and the Barbie House were assembled. She felt awful for having left all the work for him.

"Jack, why didn't you wake me up?" She asked.

"Kate, anyone who falls asleep that fast needs to sleep worse than they need to keep me company while I assemble toys." He said and stood from his cramped position on the floor, groaning against the stiff muscles.

"I feel awful. You've done all the work today and tonight. I don't know what's wrong with me." She said.

"You're just tired babe. The holidays can be exhausting. I left all of Barbie's furniture for you to put in the house if that makes you feel any better." He said and leaned down to kiss her.

"I never thought I'd get the chance to play with Barbie furniture, well not without damaging one of my boys anyway. Hey, where are you going?" She asked and grabbed his hand as he began to walk away.

"To the kitchen to get everything we need for some quality Christmas grown-up time." He said.

Kate moved to the floor and began furnishing Barbie's house, having more fun than Jordan probably ever would with it. He returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses and then disappeared again as she continued to play with the dollhouse. He returned a few minutes later with a platter of cheeses and a square Christmas package. He sat down and watched her play with the dollhouse.

"Should I have gotten you one too?" He teased.

"Hush you. I always wanted one of these when I was a little girl." She said.

"I'm sure Jordie will be more than happy to let you play with it with her." He said.

"I know and I can't wait. Doll babies and Barbies and make-up. Tomorrow is going to be fun." She said happily and joined him on the couch.

"Yeah, I'm kind of looking forward to race tracks, remote control cars and cap guns." He admitted with a chuckle as he stood and dimmed the lights in the room.

He rejoined her on the couch, leaned in and kissed her passionately.

"Wow, what I'd do to deserve that?" She asked.

"You always deserve that. Merry Christmas Kate." He said as he handed her a glass of wine and some cheese.

"Trying to get me drunk so you can have your way with me Santa?" She teased.

"Do I need to get you drunk to accomplish that?" He asked with a slight smirk.

"What's in the box?" She asked as she nibbled on her cheese.

"Remember those little cakes I bought you for your birthday?" He asked.

"Yes, the Petit Fours, they were soooo good." She answered.

"I had some made for you just for this occasion. All white this time, with a personalized message. Do you think your whale of a body might be hungry for at least one?" He teased.

"Don't tease me about my fat Jack." She said and pinched his side, not grabbing quite an inch, but managing to pinch some amount of excess.

"Hey, I'm comfortable with my fluffiness and for the last time you are not fat. You are absolutely beautiful and you deserve to eat little cakes on Christmas Eve." He said and kissed her softly.

"Well you did go to all the trouble to have them made for me so it would be rude not to enjoy them." She agreed.

"It would. It would really hurt my feelings." He said doing his best to keep a straight face.

"Smart ass. Okay, let's see what's in the pretty box. What kind of personalized message could you have come up with for Christmas? Is it dirty?" She asked and giggled.

"No, I'm pretty sure the bakery didn't advertise personalized pornographic messages." He chuckled and handed her the box.

Kate carefully slipped the ribbon from the box and slowly lifted the lid. She stared at the neatly aligned little cakes and her breath hitched as she read the _"Will You Marry Me"_ message they displayed. She peeled her now tear-filled eyes from the contents of the box and looked toward him. He was holding a small box with a beautiful diamond ring inside in front of her. She placed her hand over her mouth, gasping lightly as a single tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.

"Well?" He asked and gently wiped the tear away.

"Yes….yes, oh god…yes." She stammered, still too shocked to form a coherent sentence.

He pulled the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger before pulling her into his arms and kissing her deeply and with a longing he hoped would never grow less severe with time. He wanted to always feel this way about her, to love her so much it hurt to breathe.

"I love you Kate and I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I want to be a father to Kenny, Simon and Tucker if they'll have me." He said softly and lay back onto the couch, pulling her down on top of him.

"I want that too and you've been more of a father to them in the last few months then David ever was. I'm so looking forward to watching you with them tomorrow morning. I love you Jack and I hope that Carly, Jordan and Kendall will let me be a mother to them, they're such beautiful little girls." She said and kissed him.

She could feel his hands holding firmly to her back as the kiss intensified and while a part of her wanted him to take her to bed, a bigger part of her wanted him to take her right where they lay, the idea of making love in the very spot he'd just proposed to her the sort of thing she wanted as a memory of this very special night. She broke the kiss and sat up, her legs straddling his waist. She reached down, grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it up over her head and off, tossing it to the floor beside the presents that surrounded the Christmas tree. She wasn't wearing a bra and his hands immediately came up and cupped her breasts.

"We should take this into the bedroom." He said softly and not the least bit convincingly as his thumbs rubbed gently over her hardened nipples.

She scooted back until she was straddling his thighs and began unfastening his jeans, not the least bit interested in taking this anywhere. He grabbed her hands and pulled them away before sitting up and removing his own shirt. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, her naked breasts pressing into his bare chest and making him strain even harder against the confines of his jeans. They shared a wet, sloppy kiss, both moaning into each other's mouth.

"I want you naked Jack, right here, right now. We can keep a blanket over us." She panted.

They stood and finished removing their clothes. He turned all the lights off except for the tree lights and sat down on the couch, pulling her down into his lap and kissing her some more. She positioned herself so that she was facing him, her legs straddling his body and he draped the blanket over her back before lowering his head and taking a breast into his mouth. She gripped the top of his shoulders and went up onto her knees to give him better access, tossing her head back and moaning as his warm tongue continued its assault on her hard nipples.

She could feel his hands moving over her hips and butt, squeezing two handfuls of butt cheek before gently sliding them over the outside of her thighs.

"No foreplay Jack. I need you inside me now." She groaned and pushed herself forward, needing to feel the contact with his flaming, hot body.

He slid his hands around to the inside of her thighs and brushed one over her center.

"Mmm…so hot and wet." He whispered in her ear as he positioned his tip at her entrance, both of them grunting and groaning as she slid down onto him.

With them fully connected she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him as close as was possible without crawling inside his skin. He could feel her quivering in his arms and held her tight, the love he felt for her beginning to overwhelm him.

"I love you so much Jack. Promise me we'll never stop feeling the way we feel tonight." She said as a few tears slipped down her cheeks.

He kissed the salty liquid away while his strong gentle hands moved slowly over her back. He thrust up into her gently a few times and she came, clenching around him and dropping her head onto his shoulder. He placed his mouth next to her ear and spoke quietly.

"I love you Kate and that ring and the one that will join it is my promise to love you for the rest of my life." He said and kissed her temple, her body still convulsing slightly against him.

As soon as she settled he lifted her off of him and laid her back onto the couch, dropping between her legs and reentering her, the blanket that was supposed to be hiding their activity tossed to the floor and forgotten. He made love to her for a long time, patiently and passionately, speeding up and slowing down and both of them whispering the love they felt for the other throughout. After having felt her entire body quiver around him for the fourth time he let go, feeling as though he was exploding into her and certain that even though he was currently exhausted he would be doing this with her again, perhaps more than once, before the night was over.

They lay together on the couch, their sweaty bodies cooling and neither moving to cover their nakedness. She suddenly felt chilled and cuddled in closer to him. He could tell she was cold and moved his hands up and down her back trying to warm her.

"How about we take our wine and cheese and little cakes into the bedroom and snack and make love until the kids wake up." He offered.

"Okay, but you have to eat Santa's cookies and drink his milk." Kate said.

"There are six cookies on that platter. Simon insisted that Santa needed a cookie from each kid. How about I just nibble on each one and pour the milk down the sink. I really hate milk when it's fresh, I can't imagine how much I'd hate it after it's set out for hours." He said.

"Oh I think half eaten cookies and crumbs will make the kids very happy." She smiled and kissed him once more before moving away from him and wrapping the blanket around her body.

She grabbed the cheese and the wine and disappeared into the bedroom. He slipped his jeans on, nibbled on the cookies, dumped the milk and put the empty glass back with the half-eaten cookies. He picked up their strewn clothes, the little cakes and joined her in the bedroom. He watched her put on one of his t-shirts and a pair of panties, pull the bed coverings down and then disappear into the bathroom. She returned almost immediately holding the box from the drugstore in her hand.

"Jack, what is this?" She asked.

"It's exactly what it says it is; a pregnancy test." He said.

"What makes you think I'm pregnant?" She asked.

"What makes you think you're not? You've done this three times Kate and you don't recognize the symptoms?" He asked, his tone kind.

"What symptoms?" She asked.

"The chronic fatigue, the nausea, the dizziness and the changes to your body are all classic symptoms of pregnancy Kate." He said.

"I never had any of that with the boys. I never even had to wear maternity clothes until I was entering my seventh month. Jack, this is impossible. I've been on the pill." She said.

"True, but you'd only been on the pill for one cycle when we started having sex. Maybe they weren't effective. When was the last time you had a period because I can't recall that happening even once since we've been sleeping together." He asked.

"I don't have a period when I'm on the pill. It's one of the benefits for me. Oh god Jack, you don't really think I'm pregnant do you?" She asked, the reality of the situation finally sinking in and horrifying her.

"Would it really be so terrible Kate?" He asked gently, realizing he'd had longer to adjust to the idea then she had.

"It would be ridiculous Jack." She responded nearly shrieking.

He crossed the bedroom and took hold of her arms and eventually pulled her into his chest for a hug.

"Kate, I know you're freaked out right now, but it'll be okay. You have to believe that if you are pregnant, that if we managed to make a baby with only one fallopian tube available and birth control pills working against us, it can't be considered anything but a gift and a blessing and something that was truly meant to be." He spoke softly to her while rubbing a soothing hand over her back.

"I never would've pegged you as man who believed in such things." She mumbled.

"There was a time when I didn't, but Kate how could anyone walk back to those bedrooms and look at those six sleeping children and deny that gifts, blessings and meant- to-bes exist? I knew that we were meant to be the first time I kissed you and every day that I have you in my life I know that I've been blessed. I know you're overwhelmed and scared, but if there is a baby Kate, it's a good thing, a very good thing." He told her.

"Jack, you can be so sweet and sentimental sometimes and you've obviously given this a lot of thought. Can I have a few minutes to process all of it?" She asked.

"Sure. Just go pee on that stick and you can spend the few minutes it takes to get the results processing." He told her with a happy grin.

"Shouldn't I wait until morning?" She asked.

"We could, but if you're pregnant, you're probably not just a little bit pregnant so your HCG levels will be high enough to get a positive reading." He said.

"You've really thought a lot about his haven't you? You've got it all calculated apparently." She said, still apparently unsettled by the news and lashing out at him a bit.

"I don't have anything calculated Kate, but if we got pregnant it was most likely in the beginning which would've been what about 10 to 12 weeks ago?" He asked.

"I guess. Jack, is this why you proposed?" She asked.

"What? No. I bought the ring a few days after Thanksgiving. I didn't suspect you were pregnant until a few days ago." He told her.

"Are you lying to me Jack because I don't want you to feel like you have to marry me." She said.

"Kate, I'm not lying to you, but I do feel like I have to marry you, not because you're probably pregnant, but because I can't breathe when I think about a life without you and the boys in it." He said quietly and a little defensively.

She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm sorry Jack. Of course you didn't have an ulterior motive for proposing. That was a shitty thing for me to suggest. Old habits I guess." She apologized.

"It's okay. So, are you going to go do this?" He asked and held the box up in front of her.

"Are you going to be disappointed if the test is negative?" She asked.

"Maybe a little, but either way, I'm happy Kate." He said.

She moved off of him and took her favorite position beside him, snuggled in close, her head over his heart and his strong, protective arm wrapped around her. She sighed contently and glanced over him toward the clock on the nightstand.

"It's almost five o'clock, the kids will be beating down the door any minute now." She said.

"Then I guess it's a good thing none of them are actually strong enough to break through because I'm not letting go of this warm, naked body until I absolutely have to." He said.

"It's amazing how much a person's life can change literally overnight." She said.

"It's a lot to absorb Kate. Try not to let it overwhelm you today. Just give yourself time to adjust." He offered.

"How can you be so calm Jack?" She asked.

"Maybe because it's not happening to me, I mean it is, but not in the same way it's happening to you. My point of view is _'hey, I'm getting a wife and a new baby, best Christmas ever'_. It's too simple I suppose, but Kate I've been to hell and back and this, this is all good." He explained.

"That's true and for me, I'm getting a husband, a real husband who wants me to share his life with him and who will no doubt, to the point of driving me crazy with his overprotective nagging, be by my side throughout this entire pregnancy. My baby's father is going to be excited and so happy to see her enter the world. I've never experienced that before." She told him, her voice cracking a little.

"So we're having a girl?" He chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"The father determines the sex of the baby so the odds of us having a girl seem to be pretty good." She reasoned.

"It's really not that simple Kate. The mom's body plays a role in determining the sex as well and the fact that you have three boys suggests that your body is naturally alkaline and therefore more friendly to the boy sperm than a woman whose body is acidic. My little boy swimmers had a good chance of not dying off inside your body before they reached their intended target. Of course my little girl swimmers are obviously very strong and maybe they kicked the little boy swimmer's ass and won the prize." He light-heartedly explained.

"God, that's the most adorable explanation of reproduction I've ever heard. You're definitely in charge of the sex talks when the time comes." She giggled and kissed his chest.

"I can do that as long as you agree to be in charge of menstrual cycles and all that goes with them, including never sending Jack to the store to buy tampons." He said.

"Jack, you're a doctor, that stuff should be clinical and not the least bit embarrassing to you." She laughed.

"I am a doctor, but I'm also a guy and no matter what you women think, guys do not like to be asked to buy that stuff. None of us have evolved that much and those that say they have are either lying or a little light in the loafers." He defended his stance, making her laugh some more, the sound of it making him smile.

"Okay, it's a deal. The women of the Shephard/Austen household do solemnly swear to never request that one of the men purchase any kind of feminine hygiene product and in return, Kate never has to explain ejaculation and girl and boy swimmers to the kids." She said, propping herself up on his chest and smiling down at him.

"I love you." He said.

"I love you too." She said and lowered her mouth to his, kissing him deeply.

He rolled her onto her back and continued to kiss her, neither possessing the energy or desire to have sex again, but enjoying the closeness of the moment. They heard the patter of feet and broke the kiss, both listening intently and then the sounds that parents around the world were hearing began. Loud knocking on the bedroom door followed by the excited voices of young children screaming_, "Wake up daddy! Wake up Mommy! Santa Clause came!"_


	21. Chapter 21

They quickly threw some clothes on and joined the excited children in the family room. Jack excused himself to make coffee, while Kate worked to corral the rowdy crew. With the coffee brewing and the child who should play Santa appointed, the handing out of the gifts began. It had started out orderly, but within a couple of minutes had devolved into a chaotic frenzy of young hands tearing madly into packages, barely taking a moment to appreciate the contents before moving on to the next brightly colored treasure. Thirty minutes into the chaos Jack's pager went off, followed immediately by his cell phone. The girls stopped, recognizing the noises and knowing that Christmas with their father was about to be cut short.

"Oh Jack, no." Kate said as he grabbed his phone and walked away from the celebration taking place.

"He's got to go to work." Carly said.

"Maybe not, maybe one of his patients is having a difficult time." Kate said.

"His pager went off Kate. You know that only happens when he has to go." Carly said.

Jack reentered the room with a look of regret on his face.

"I'm sorry, I have to go." He said.

"No Jack, you have to show me how to work my car." Kenny objected.

"Who's going to pull me in my wagon?" Kendall whined and tugged at his shirt until he picked her up.

Carly wanted to speak up and tell the others to stop making him feel bad, but she was as disappointed as they were and she was 12 and it was Christmas. He was on his own.

"Listen guys, I'm sorry. I'll get home as soon as I can." He said, setting Kendall down and disappearing toward the front of the home.

Kate followed him into the bedroom and watched him as he quickly threw on some clean jeans and a clean shirt. He sat down to put on his socks and shoes and she moved in to talk to him.

"Jack, what is so awful that only you can fix? Why can't all the other doctors out there, the ones who are actually on call, handle this?" Kate asked, disappointed and angry and on the verge of tears.

"Kate, I'm sorry. I wouldn't leave if it wasn't absolutely necessary. There's been an explosion at one of the shelters in the city. It's bad. They need every available doctor and surgeon." He explained.

"Jack you haven't had any sleep." She argued.

"I'm fine Kate. I'm a doctor. I'm used to going days on no sleep. Baby, I'm really sorry. I'll call you as soon as I get the chance." He said as he stood and kissed her quickly on the mouth.

"I'll hold off on cooking dinner until I hear from you." She said.

"No, don't do that. Just carry on with the day as planned. Are you going to be okay? I mean do you feel well enough to deal with all of this by yourself?" He asked.

"Would it matter if I didn't?" She grumbled.

"I know you're disappointed. I'm sorry. I love you. I have to go." He said, refusing to let her expected disappointment and anger upset him or more importantly, upset them.

Jack made his way back out to the family room and into the middle of the chaos, surrounding himself with the six children and squatting down to their level so he could talk to them.

"Listen up guys. It's Christmas and I want you to have fun and enjoy all of your new stuff. I promise that when I get home I will play with all of you." He said.

"Please don't go daddy." Jordan pleaded and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Baby, daddy wishes more than anything that he could stay here and play with you guys, but there are a whole bunch of people who are hurt really bad and they need my help." He said and looked into the faces and eyes of the disappointed youngsters.

"Can you fix them Jack? It's Christmas, you can make them better right?" Simon asked.

"I'm going to try. Look, I know that you're all mad at me right now, but I need all of you to do something for me." He said.

"What?" Kenny asked.

"I need you to be nice to each other and I need you to help Kate. This is a big mess and there's a big dinner to be made. She's not been feeling well and she's going to need lots of help. Can you guys do that?" He asked.

"I can help cook." Carly offered.

"Me too, I know how to skin potatoes." Jordan said.

"Me and Simon can pick up all these papers and help with the little kids." Kenny said.

"I knew I could count on you guys, you're all a pretty awesome bunch of kids and I love each and every one of you. I don't suppose I could get a hug to keep me from missing you too much today could I?" He asked.

The six children gave him their best pouty face and shook their heads no. They were willing to help Kate, but they were still mad at him for leaving on Christmas morning. Kate had entered the room just in time to see the kids deliver six precisely placed daggers to the heart. Seeing that he wasn't about to be forgiven anytime soon he kissed each child on the top of the head and then stood up and approached her. He took hold of her hands and brought the hand with the ring on it up to his mouth and placed a soft kiss on top of the ring.

"I'll make this up to you. I promise." He said.

"You can't." She said and pulled her hand away.

"I love you and I'll be back as soon as possible. I promise." He said, kissing her cheek and rushing out of the house.

Kate sat on the couch and watched the children play with their new toys. She was exhausted and not sure if she could peel herself off the couch to make them breakfast, much less pull off a full blown Christmas dinner. Carly looked up at her from her spot on the floor where she was helping Tucker assemble one of his new toys. She saw the ring on her finger and smiled.

"You and daddy are getting married?" Carly asked.

"He probably would've rather we told you guys together, but yes, we are. How do you feel about that?" Kate asked.

"I think it's awesome. You're going to be my brother Tuck." Carly said to the completely disinterested toddler.

"Are you going to be my mom?" Jordan asked quietly without looking up from the large Barbie house she was absorbed in.

"Sweetie, I'll be whatever you want and need me to be." Kate answered carefully.

"I don't know what I want. Is daddy going to be the boy's dad?" Jordan asked.

"I have a dad." Kenny chimed in.

"So, I have a mom. You can have more than one mom and dad can't you Kate?" Jordan asked.

"That's dumb." Kenny disagreed.

"It's not dumb Kenny. Some families have more than one mom and dad. When we get married Jack will be your stepfather and I will be the girl's stepmother." Kate said, her head beginning to pound and not really in the mood for such a touchy discussion.

"So Jack is going to be my dad?" Kenny asked.

"Just like I told Jordan , Jack will be whatever you want and need him to be son." Kate said, rubbing her temples with her fingers.

"Are you okay mom? You look like you're going throw-up." Kenny said.

"I'm okay, I'm just really tired." She said.

"If you want to go lay down, me and Kenny can keep an eye on the little kids." Carly offered.

"I appreciate that sweetie, but I can't go to bed and stick you with Kendall and Tucker without another adult in the house." Kate said and attempted to stand up, falling back down quickly and grabbing her head.

"Kate you're scaring me." Carly said.

"It's okay honey, don't be scared. I'm just a little dizzy. Do you think you could go next door and see if Candice is home?" Kate asked, realizing she was quickly becoming too weak and tired to take care of the children.

"I'll go mom." Kenny said and headed for the front door, while Carly moved over to the couch and sat beside Kate.

"Carly, I'm okay honey I promise. I just need to rest. Please don't get upset. You'll scare the younger kids." Kate said.

"Do you swear because I can call Daddy. You're more important than a gazillion hurt people and he'd come home." Carly said.

"I swear. I just need to rest. Don't call your dad." Kate said.

Candice entered the room, clearly concerned.

"See look, I told you so. She's all white and sick looking." Kenny said.

"What can I do?" Candice asked.

"Help me to bed and stay with the kids?" Kate asked softly.

Candice helped Kate into the bedroom she shared with Jack. She noticed the tray of cheese, the little cakes and the wine and smiled lightly.

"Looks like you two had a romantic Christmas Eve." She commented and helped Kate sit on the bed.

"Yeah, he proposed." Kate said and lay back onto the pillows.

"Kate are you okay? Should I try to call him? You're so pale." Candice said.

"I'm pregnant Candice and it's really kicking my butt." Kate grumbled as she fought the dizziness and the nausea the dizziness was causing.

Candice helped her get under the covers and smiled down at her.

"That's wonderful. Do the kids know?" She asked.

"No, and I don't want them to, not yet. I don't understand this Candice. I never felt this bad with my boys." Kate groaned.

"Well pregnancy gets a little more difficult the older we get. My kids were 8 years apart and you wouldn't believe the difference in having a child when you're in your 30s versus having a child when you're in your 20s. Just get some rest and don't worry about the kids, they'll be fine." Candice said.

"I'm sorry. You must have so many better things to do on Christmas than take care of us." Kate said.

"No, I really don't. I was supposed to meet the yacht gentleman for drinks later, but hanging out with the kids sounds like much more fun." Candice said.

"You know Candice, when Jack and I invited you to spend Christmas with us we weren't being charitable. We love you and the kids love you and we all want you here." Kate said.

"Oh sweetie I know, I just thought I'd give the yacht schmuck one more chance to knock me off of my feet. I don't really see that happening though. Now, get some rest." Candice said and left the bedroom, taking the wine bottle, snack cakes, and cheese tray with her.

Kate awoke six hours later to the mouth watering smells of a Christmas dinner prepared by someone who obviously had a lot of cooking and baking experience under her belt. Her mouth was watering and her stomach was growling. She moved off the bed and went straight to the shower. When she entered the family room she couldn't believe it. All the mess had been cleaned away. There wasn't one little scrap of Christmas paper left and the toys were neatly arranged under and around the tree. She entered the dining room and smiled at the table with all the plates and silverware placed perfectly. The two oldest kids were carefully placing each prepared dish on the table.

"Candice, you should've woken me. I can't believe you did all this by yourself." Kate said.

"I didn't do it alone. The kids all helped." Candice said.

"Me and Tuck broke the beans!" Kendall told her excitedly.

"I skinned the potatoes!" Jordan exclaimed.

"You peeled them Jordie, peeled, peeled." Carly sighed heavily.

"I teared the lettuce for the salad." Simon boasted proudly.

"They were all a big help Kate. Kenny cleaned up that big mess in the family room and Carly helped me pull all this together. I hope you're hungry." Candice said.

"I'm starving. It all looks so wonderful. I'm proud of all of you kids." Kate said and moved into the kitchen to help.

"No way mom. Jack said I'm the man of the house when he's not here and that it's the man's job to make sure you rest. So go sit in the chair and rest. We'll put all this on the table." Kenny told her.

"Jack? Did he call?" Kate asked as she relented to her son's adorable attempt at being a bossy man and took a seat at the table.

"He called about an hour ago. He's having a pretty bad day I think. I told him I'd stay as long as I needed to." Candice said.

"Great, he's about to have another wife that can't be left home alone without the aid of the friendly neighbor." Kate mumbled and left the table.

"Kids, finish putting the food on the table. I'll be right back." Candice said and went in search of Kate.

Candice found her in the formal living room, her arms wrapped around her upper body hugging herself while she gazed out the window.

"You know Kate, if you're sick, you're sick. It's not something you can control or something you should beat yourself up over." Candice said.

"Jack's so excited about this baby." Kate said softly.

"You're not?" Candice asked.

"Jack always says that things don't have to be so hard for either one of us anymore because we have each other to share the load with, but all I've done is add to his load Candice. He should be able to be called away on an emergency without needing a babysitter for me." She said and wiped the tears from under her eyes.

"I'm not going to try to rationalize with you while your hormones are running roughshod throughout your body and making you more emotional than you would normally be, but Kate, if you're worried that you're another Jennifer, don't even go there. She didn't need to be physically ill to need help, she just naturally needed that. She loved being helpless and she took advantage of the fact that Jack would bend over backwards to ensure her happiness and also to ensure his children were getting proper care. She had a nanny Kate, I just helped out during the times the nanny wasn't available. She wanted to take the nanny to the beach house with them that week, but he talked her out of it. He wanted it to just be a family thing. He beats himself up over that decision daily Kate. Not because she killed herself, but because the nanny wasn't there to protect his children from what they stumbled into. He's got you to help him help his daughter's heal and he knows that he can walk out of the house and leave them with you and never worry for one second that they won't be taken care of. That's not just my opinion Kate. He told me that last week when he showed me the ring he bought for you. Don't compare yourself to Jennifer, because he certainly doesn't and you are nothing like her. Oh, and before you get worked up thinking he asked you to marry him so he'd have someone to take care of his daughters, that was just one of the many reasons he gave for why he loves you so much and wants to spend the rest of his life with you." Candice explained, being firm, but gentle with her.

"Every time I think the story about his wife's death can't get any worse it does. I'm happy about the baby Candice, just not excited. It's overwhelming to think about and I had kind of hoped I'd have him to myself for a little while before one more little person entered the picture." She said.

"It's a lot of kids Kate, but you have a neighbor who is more than happy to help out any time and there is no shame in accepting help when you really need it. As for Jack, he knows you're not feeling well right now, but that knowledge isn't a burden to him. Now, what do you say we go eat?" Candice said.

Jack entered the home around 10 PM. He followed the flickering light into the family room. All six children were camped out on the floor in their sleeping bags and Kate was stretched out on the couch watching television. He wasn't sure whether or not she was awake so she approached her gently, and sat beside her. She looked up and smiled at him. He looked like he was ready to collapse. He leaned in and kissed her softly.

"Slumber party?" He asked, his voice sounding as tired as he looked.

"They wanted to wait up for you. None of them lasted longer than 15 minutes. They had a busy day. You look like you had a day yourself. Have you eaten?" She asked and moved a soothing hand over his thigh.

He took hold of her hand, pulled it up to his face and kissed the inside of her palm.

"No, yeah, I mean there were sandwiches at one point. I'm not hungry." He said and moved over her, sliding in behind her on the couch, kicking his shoes off and spooning his body around her.

"God you feel good, like a slice of heaven." He whispered and breathed in the scent of her hair.

"You should go to bed babe." She said.

"No, this is good." He mumbled in a voice so quiet she barely heard him.

"Jack, you're beyond exhausted. Please, go stretch out on the bed." Kate tried to convince him.

"Kate, I've seen so much destruction and death today. All I want is to stay right here where I know everyone I love is safe and warm." He told her and kissed the side of her head.

"Well, at least take some of the blanket." She said and sat up to cover him with the blanket before lying back down and allowing him to drop a protective arm along with the remainder of the blanket over her.

"Perfect." He sighed contently and was out.

She was sure she'd never seen him fall asleep so quickly and she'd never seen him looking as tired and beat up as he did tonight. She'd spent a wonderful, relaxing Christmas Day with six happy children and a wonderful neighbor and he'd apparently spent Christmas Day plowing through mangled bodies. The idea that he'd been trapped in that horror and she had been sitting at home feeling sorry for herself made her feel terribly guilty because part of her moodiness throughout the day had been directly related to the fact that he'd left them on Christmas Day. She had to stop doing that. She was going to marry this man and have his child and she couldn't get angry with him every time his job pulled him away. Part of loving him had to be about accepting his job and not making him feel bad every time that job disappointed her. If he were awake and she told him how she felt at the moment, he'd definitely assure her that it's okay and that he understands the disappointment his job causes at times, but as far as she was concerned that was bullshit. He was as disappointed as they were earlier that morning, he just doesn't show it and to anyone watching it was evident that he'd always rather be with them then at the hospital. It wasn't as if his commitment to his work was stronger than his commitment to them and he didn't deserve to be greeted with disappointment and anger every time he had to pull away from them for the sake of others. As she remembered how mean they'd all been to him that morning a large lump formed in her throat as she considered how sad that must've made him. As a single tear rolled down her cheek, the idea of him working on injured, dying people without the love and support of his family breaking her heart, she held tighter to the protective arm he had wrapped around her, decided to try hard to be more supportive, closed her eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep.

He opened his eyes and squinted, the bright sunlight seeping through the windows hurting his eyes. He moved his cramped, stiff body until he was finally sitting up, bringing his hands up to cover his face. Kate was gone and so were the kids, the sleeping bags apparently rolled up and placed back in their proper place. He could smell something cooking and could hear the kids' voices coming from the next room. He slowly made his way into the kitchen, the mess stopping him in his tracks and forcing him to slowly count to ten. Carly and Kenny were cooking while the other four sat at the table spreading jelly over toast, as well as the table, the chairs and themselves. There was pancake batter everywhere as well as the powder from the pancake mix. There were egg shells covering the counter and the stove's ceramic top was splattered with egg drippings and grease spatters from the sausage that was burning in the skillet.

He watched Carly try to pry a pancake off the griddle for a moment before the small grease fire in the sausage skillet got all of his attention. He quickly moved toward the stove, grabbed the skillet and dropped it into the sink, turning the water on and stepping back from the smoke and steam billowing from it.

"Sorry. I guess I got the burner too hot." Kenny said.

"Where's Kate." Was all he could manage without completely blowing up at all of them.

"She was going to lie down for a little while before she made us breakfast so we decided to surprise her." Carly said.

"Oh, she'll be surprised all right." Jack mumbled as he looked around at the destruction trying to determine how they could've done so much damage trying to perform such a simple task.

"I guess we didn't do so good huh?" Kenny sighed.

"It's okay, it was a nice gesture." Jack said and began turning every electronic device that was cooking off.

"I made the pancakes just like you make them dad, why are they so runny?" Carly asked.

"I don't know honey. Listen guys, this was very nice, but I need all of you to promise me that you will never use the stove without supervision again." Jack said.

"Dad, I'm twelve, I can cook." Carly argued.

"No, you can't, not without supervision. We'll revisit this discussion when you're 13. Okay?" He asked, doing his best to remain patient.

"Are you mad at us?" Kenny asked.

"No, I'm not mad. Do you think you two can get your brothers and sisters cleaned up and ready to go out while I go check on Kate?" Jack asked.

"Where are we going?" Carly asked.

"Out to breakfast." Jack said.

Jack left the kids and the mess and went to check on Kate. He found her curled up in the center of the bed sleeping. Her face was very pale. He shook her gently and she opened her eyes.

"Hey." He said softly.

"What time is it?" Kate asked.

"It a little past ten." Jack answered.

"Oh shit! The kids!" Kate gasped, sitting up quickly, grabbing her head and falling forward into his arms.

"Take it easy babe, they're fine. But, you're not fine." He said.

"I'm so tired and weak and dizzy Jack. I can't go more than two hours without needing to lie down and rest for six." She complained.

"My guess is that you're anemic, but how anemic is what I don't know and we need to find out as soon as possible. I'm going to take the kids out for breakfast. I'll call Dr. Banks, the doctor that did your surgery, and see if he can meet us at the hospital later." Jack said.

"No Jack, I'll be okay. Let me get up and go with you." She said and moved off the bed, the dizziness overwhelming her the minute her feet hit the floor.

He caught her and laid her back onto the bed.

"If you're hungry I'll bring you something back. Stay in bed Kate. Stop fighting me. You're too sick to win this battle and you know it." He said and kissed her gently.

They waited quietly in the small exam room, her sitting on the table, completely nude except for a small garment that covered her upper body and a sheet wrapped around her lower body and him standing beside her, his backside leaning against the side of the exam table and his arm wrapped around her. She was relaxed into him, doing her best to fight off the fatigue and the dizziness that had been nothing short of relentless the last couple of days. The door opened and the older, slightly balding, Dr. Ethan Banks entered the room. He approached Kate and took hold of the cold hand on the side of her body that Jack wasn't wrapped around.

"I've got your lab results and you my dear are this close to needing a blood transfusion." Dr. Banks said holding two fingers up with minimal space between them to indicate how close she was.

"I appreciate you doing this Ethan." Jack said, moving away from the table and shaking his hand.

"Not a problem Jack. Have you been sick Kate, vomiting, any bleeding at all?" Ethan asked.

"I've been nauseous, but I think that's just because I'm so dizzy. No bleeding." She answered.

"Have you been eating well?" Ethan asked.

"I thought I had been eating too much, but apparently that's not the case. Dr. Banks, I've had three children and I've never felt this bad, nor have I started expanding so quickly. Is there something wrong with this baby?" She asked.

"We're going to get you started on some iron supplements, three a day to start until your levels get up to a respectable level and then we'll taper it back some. That and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables should get you feeling better. Now, how about you lay back and let me check out the rest of you." He said.

Jack helped her lie back and remained quiet throughout the exam. She was in the most capable hands he knew of and he was content to just stand back and be a quiet observer. Dr. Banks finished his exam, instructed Kate to get comfortable and exited the room.

"Something's wrong isn't it?" Kate asked.

"I don't think so Kate. Just try to relax." Jack said, still standing by her head and shoulders and holding her hand.

Dr. Banks entered the room with a portable ultrasound machine in tow.

"Physically everything looks and feels fine Kate so let's a get a look at the baby, try to determine how far along you are." Dr. Banks said, pulling the sheet away from Kate's stomach and squirting a slippery substance on her.

The three were all quiet as he slowly moved the wand over her belly. Jack saw the fetal heartbeat and smiled, squeezing her hand a little tighter and as quickly as he'd smiled he went stone-faced again and released her hand.

"Jack what's wrong?" Kate asked, noticing the change in him even though he'd never opened his mouth.

"This is unexpected." Dr. Banks mumbled.

"What? What is going on?" Kate asked, becoming frantic.

"See this movement right here Kate, that's your baby's heartbeat." Dr. Banks said and pointed to a spot on the screen.

"I see it." Kate said as she watched the movement disappear from the screen as the doctor moved the wand to another position.

"And this movement right here, alongside this movement right here, is also your baby's heartbeat." Dr. Banks said and laughed lightly.

"What? I don't understand. Why does my baby have three different heartbeats?" Kate asked.

Dr. Banks looked at Jack who was clearly shocked and still trying to absorb the information.

"Because there are three babies." Jack answered in an almost robotic tone.

"What? Three? No, that's not possible." Kate gasped.

"Well, you're right about that honey, it certainly shouldn't have been possible considering the use of contraceptives and only having one fallopian tube, but none the less, it's happened and I have to say, it's pretty amazing." Dr. Banks said.

"I don't understand. How did this happen. Don't you need fertility drugs to have something like this happen?" Kate asked.

"No, triplets conceived naturally aren't all that uncommon. It's too early to tell for sure, but judging by the position of the heartbeats, my guess is that you produced two eggs when you ovulated and superman over there managed to fertilize both of them and one of them split. You're probably carrying a set of twins along with a single baby." He explained.

"No, I'm not." Kate spat angrily and sat up, doing so too fast and becoming dizzy, so dizzy she almost fell off the table.

"Whoa! Easy there." Ethan said as he helped Jack push her back onto the table and down.

"I want to go home." Kate hissed at both of them.

"That's fine, you are free to go. You and all of your babies are healthy as far as I can tell. You need to start on the iron supplements the minute you get home and hopefully within a week these severe symptoms will subside. Kate, I know you're overwhelmed and scared and panicking at the moment, but it'll be okay. Just give your mind some time to adjust to the news." Dr. Banks told her, patting her on the shoulder and reaching out to shake Jack's hand.

"Thank Ethan. I'll uh, I mean we'll schedule a follow-up in your office." Jack said, his own mind apparently still reeling from the news.

"I'd like to see her again in let's say two weeks, check her blood again." Ethan said as he headed out the door, stopping before the door closed and adding, "Congratulations."

Jack and Kate sat in the room in complete silence. While he had been muted into a quiet, calm form of shock upon hearing the news, she had been muted into what could only be described as a quiet rage-filled form of denial. She sat up slowly, made sure she had her bearings about her and began getting dressed, clearly angry, but not saying a word. He sat quietly in the corner and watched her, not knowing what to say or do and a little afraid for his life. As she buttoned the final button on her blouse he finally mustered up the courage to speak.

"Do you want to go somewhere and talk about this?" He asked.

"There's nothing to talk about Jack." She replied tersely.

"Kate, we're having triplets." Jack said carefully.

"No we aren't." She spat stubbornly.

"Kate." He said.

"Let's go Jack. The kids have spent more than enough time with Candice the last couple of days." She demanded and walked out the door, not waiting to see if he was following, or in the mood to care.


	22. Chapter 22

_**Thanks for reading and for all the nice reviews and for not getting impatient with me. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! **_

They made the drive home in uncomfortable silence, him ready and willing to talk about their predicament and her not ready or willing to talk to him about anything. Rational or not, he was to blame for what in her mind was the world's biggest mess and she just wanted to be away from him so she could curse him and have fantasies about inflicting harm on him. They walked into the house together and she immediately headed toward their bedroom.

"Kate, you need to take this iron supplement." He called after her.

"You take it!" She spat angrily and slammed the bedroom door.

He entered the bedroom a few minutes later with a plate containing a sandwich and an apple, a glass of water and the biggest pill she'd ever seen.

"I'm not hungry Jack." She groaned and rolled onto her side so she wouldn't have to look at him.

"I'm not leaving until you at least eat the apple and take this pill." He stood firm.

"Someone needs to collect the kids from Candice." She said and started to get up.

He put his hand out and stopped her.

"Eat the apple and take the pill and then I will go next door and get the kids." He said, doing his best to remain patient with her.

She sat up and ate the food he brought to her, all of it, apparently quite hungry after all. She swallowed the pill and then moved off the bed quickly, too quickly. She became dizzy and fell into his arms.

"Dammit!" She cursed into his neck as he carefully laid her back onto the bed.

"You're tired again. Get some rest. I promised the kids I'd play with them. They'll be fine." He said, his tone kind and concerned and tugging at her resolve to stay pissed off at him.

Kate didn't remember much in the hours and days that followed. The anemia kept her in bed and sleeping the majority of the time. Jack would bring her food and her iron pill and she'd dutifully eat and swallow the pill and go back to sleep. The kids had come in at various times to check on her or to get a kiss goodnight and he'd been there to help her walk to the bathroom. She'd gone from bad to worse and was on her way back again. She lay on the bed with her eyes closed remembering the care he'd provided in her incapacitated state, the meals, the back rubs, the way he'd helped her bathe and dress and she began to feel a little guilty for having been so mean to him the entire time. It wasn't rational, but being angry with him was the only thing keeping her from freaking out completely. It gave her something to focus on, something besides the three embryos growing inside of her. A fact she still hadn't come to grips with yet. He entered the room with her breakfast and she sat up, feeling human again for the first time in days.

"What day is it?" She asked.

"It's Thursday." He said.

"Have you not been to work all week?" She asked.

"I took the kids with me to the hospital a couple of times to check on some patients, but beyond that, no I haven't been to work." He said and handed her a cup of juice and an iron pill.

"Well, we both know your job is THE important one so hopefully I can back on my feet today and you can get back to work." She commented, the anger she was harboring still coming through loud and clear.

"I just want you to feel better." He said, not willing to fight with her, but finding it harder and harder to bite his tongue as the days and the hostility toward him went on.

"Yeah, I bet. You haven't had sex in almost a week and I'm sure this is really putting a wrinkle in whatever sexcapades you had planned for New Year's Eve." She said, the sarcasm thick.

He stopped fussing over her and looked at her, his facial expression a combination of frustration, irritation and little bit of hurt. He moved off the bed and stood beside it.

"Do you think you feel well enough to get cleaned up on your own today?" He asked.

"Why? Are you sick of taking care of me?" She grumbled.

"No, Tucker has been throwing up all night and he doesn't feel well enough to be left on his own for very long. It's better if I take care of him alone than expose the other five to him." He told her.

"What's wrong with him?" Kate asked, her private pity party forgotten for the moment.

"It's just a stomach virus. It'll run its course, but it'd be great if it could run it's course without infecting the other five, if it hasn't already." Jack explained.

"I should take care of him. Is he asking for me?" Kate asked.

"He was, but he's fine now. He's sleeping. You need to stay away from him Kate. The last thing you need is to catch something like this. You'll end up in bed for another week." He said.

"How long do you think trying to carry three babies is going to keep me in bed Jack?" She spat angrily.

"Hopefully that won't happen." He said.

"It's not going to happen because THIS isn't going to happen. It's ridiculous Jack. I can't do this and I hate you so much every time I think about it. How could you let this happen to me?" She asked, tears beginning to flow and being completely irrational.

"Kate, I know you're upset and scared and that you want nothing more than to castrate me with that butter knife right now, but I don't know what you want me to do. What can I do to make this easier for you?" He asked.

"You can wake me up and tell me this is just some horrible nightmare. Jack I cannot do this." She cried.

"You don't have to Kate." He said with absolutely zero emotion in his voice.

"What?" She asked, shocked back into a more rational state.

"If you absolutely feel that this is something you cannot do, then don't." He said, still with no emotion, receiving a hard slap across the face for his trouble.

"Get out!" She demanded.

"Kate." He argued.

"No, shut up. Don't talk to me. Don't even look at me. Just get out of here." She ordered.

Jack left the room without apologizing for his suggestion. He'd had enough. He understood she was scared and he was willing to do anything and everything to make the ordeal less scary for her, but he was tired of the anger and the venom and the denial. Kate surfaced out of the bedroom a couple of hours later. He was sitting in the kitchen with Tucker in his lap letting him suck on a popsicle. She immediately approached them and lifted the boy out of his lap and into her arms.

"Not a good idea Kate. He's still got a fever." Jack said.

"He's my baby Jack. I'm not going to just ignore him." Kate grumbled and carried the boy out of the room.

"Dad, why is Kate so mad at you?" Carly asked, entering the kitchen from the other side of the room and startling him.

"She's not, she's just been really sick and she's a little grumpy." He told her.

"Since you're not going out tomorrow night can we have a party?" Carly asked.

"What's tomorrow night?" Jack asked.

"Dad, it's New Year's Eve." Carly said.

"Oh yeah. What'd you have in mind?" He asked.

"You know, just the usual. Party hats, noise makers and lots of junk food. It'll be fun and who knows maybe we'll actually make it to midnight this year." Carly said.

"You never make it to midnight. You all go into junk food comas and I end up carrying all of you to bed long before the big ball drops." He teased.

"Some day we'll be too big to carry to bed." Carly reminded him.

"Oh you're good. Sure, why not. It looks like Kate is going to be up and around today. You can go with me to the hospital later and we'll go shop for the party after." Jack said.

"Can we get Chinese food for dinner?" She asked excitedly.

"Sure." He said and smiled at her.

Jack fed the kids some lunch, put Kendall down for a nap and went in search of Kate, who still hadn't spoken to him since the bedroom incident. She was in the formal living room lying on the couch with Tucker who was sound to sleep. He reached out and felt Tucker's face and forehead.

"Fever's gone. I guess he just needed his mom." Jack offered with a half smile.

Kate didn't respond. She just glanced at him briefly and then looked away again.

"I've got to go to the hospital and check on my patients. I'm taking Carly with me. Kendall is asleep and the other three are having quiet time in the family room. Will you be okay with them for a few hours?" He asked.

"I can take care of my children Jack." She mumbled angrily.

"Awesome. Do you mind taking care of two of mine for a few hours?" He asked.

"Do I ever mind taking care of your children?" She growled sarcastically.

"Right. I'm not going to do this with you. I'll be back and I'll bring dinner. Call my cell phone if you start feeling too weak and tired to deal with them." He said and left the room before she had a chance to snipe at him some more.

Jack and Carly returned about five hours later. The five children were in the family room eating anything and everything they could find in the pantry. Simon was woofing down a bag of marshmallows. Kenny and Kendall were making peanut butter and jelly crackers and the coffee table had peanut butter and jelly smeared all over it. Jordan was working on what appeared to be her fourth pudding cup. The mess was bad, but the smell coming from the couch was what got all of his attention. Tucker was lying in a puddle of his own excrement and nobody seemed to notice. Carly looked around and before Jack could say a word she began instructing the other children to clean up their messes while he picked up Tucker and took him into the bathroom.

He cleaned the child up, fed him some soup and put him to bed while the other children ate the Chinese food he'd brought home and took their baths without having to be asked. He cleaned up the couch in the family room and the coffee table and when he turned around and saw five timid faces staring at him, he took a deep breath, counted to ten and did his best to relax.

"We're sorry dad. We got hungry." Jordan said.

"I know. It's okay. I'm going to go check on Kate. Why don't you guys pick a movie and I'll watch it with you." He offered.

"We don't have to go to bed?" Kenny asked excitedly.

"No. There's no school tomorrow and it's not your fault you were left unattended for so long. It's okay guys. I'm not mad at you." Jack said and smiled a tired smile at them.

Jack entered the bedroom and found her curled up in a ball in the center of the bed sleeping soundly. He was so angry with her that he wanted to grab her and shake her, but instead he sat easily on the bed and shook her gently. She looked at him through sleepy eyes and after a few minutes she sat up in a panic and looked at the clock.

"They're fine. Why didn't you call me Kate?" He asked.

"I thought I could handle it. I only meant to lie down for a few minutes." She said.

"Have you taken your iron pills today? I mean other than the one I gave you this morning?" He asked.

"No." She admitted.

'You haven't eaten either have you?" He asked.

"No." She answered.

"You know I said we'd never fight in this bed and we're not going to start now, but I'm going to say something and you're going to sit there and be quiet and let me finish." He said.

"Don't you dare talk to me like I'm one of your children Jack." She hissed and moved off the bed and toward the bathroom.

He followed her and grabbed hold of her arm.

"Good, we aren't in the bed anymore. Let's have it Kate. All of it." He said angrily.

"Let go of me!" She spat and pulled away from him, but he grabbed her again, not forcefully, but tight enough to let her know he wasn't going to let her walk away from him.

"I've had it Kate. I can't take it anymore. You have got to take care of yourself and these children have to be taken care of regardless of what their parents are dealing with. I have to go back to work Kate and I can't be constantly worried that you're too sick to handle them and too god damn stubborn to call me. Do I need to hire someone?" He asked.

"Oh, you'd love that wouldn't you. You like having a helpless little wife who's content to stay home and have your babies and be too feeble to handle anything on her own. I think I'm starting to understand why Jennifer killed herself." She said angrily, regretting it the minute she said it.

If she was looking for the world's largest knife to shove through his heart she'd found it because the comment hadn't just hurt him, it devastated him. He let go of her, stepped back and looked at her with the most hurt-filled eyes she'd ever seen in her life. She reached out and placed her hand on his forearm.

"Jack." She said, her voice remorseful and pleading.

He glanced down at the hand she had on his forearm and then back at her.

"You can be a real bitch sometimes Kate." He said softly.

"I didn't mean it Jack. Oh God, I'm sorry. Please believe that I was just being hateful and that I didn't mean it." She said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I need to get back out there. I promised the kids I'd watch a movie with them. Take your iron Kate and eat. Please." He said calmly, pushing her hand away from his arm and leaving the bedroom.

Kate left the bedroom about an hour later. She made herself a sandwich and took her iron pill. When she was done eating she walked timidly toward the family room, wanting and not wanting to face him and deal with the horrible and inexcusable comment she'd made. She entered the family room and looked around. Kenny and Carly were stretched out on their stomachs on the floor watching the movie. Jack was seated in the center of the couch with his legs stretched out onto the coffee table. He was asleep as were Simon , Jordan and Kendall who were all using a part of his body as a pillow. Simon was relaxed back onto the left side of his chest with his legs stretched out toward the end of the couch. Jordan mirrored Simon on Jack's right side and Kendall was curled up next to Jordan with her head resting comfortable on Jack's upper thigh. They looked adorable and he looked exhausted.

"Hey mom, are you feeling better?" Kenny asked.

"I'm getting there son. Hopefully in a couple of days I won't want to sleep 20 hours a day anymore." She sighed.

"Hopefully you'll be well enough for our party tomorrow night." Carly said.

"You're having a party tomorrow night?" Kate asked as she sat down in-between the two kids so they wouldn't have to talk so loud.

"Yeah, me and dad went and bought all the stuff today. He said he didn't know if you'd feel like staying up with us, but we got you a party hat anyway." Carly told her.

"I thought there was a party we were supposed to go to." Kate said and stifled a yawn.

"He told that doctor at the hospital that he couldn't come." Kenny said.

"When was that?" Kate asked.

"I don't know, a few days ago. It's kind of cool going to the hospital with him. Mom, do you think I'm smart enough to be a doctor?" Kenny asked.

"I think you can be anything you want to be honey." Kate said.

"My dad was smart like Jack wasn't he?" Kenny asked.

"Your dad was smart, but it was a different kind of smart. He was a professor." Kate told him.

"What's a professor?" Kenny asked.

"It's like a teacher, only at college." Carly answered before Kate had a chance.

"Are doctors smarter than professors?" Kenny asked.

"It's not a competition son." Kate told him and ruffled his hair.

"That's for sure. My mom could've never competed with you. You're so easy going and smart and strong and you treat my dad so good and never say mean things to him." Carly said, making an already guilt-ridden Kate feel even worse.

"Listen you two, Jack and I aren't trying to compete with or replace your dad or your mom in any way whatsoever. Sweetie can't you just love Jack for who he is without comparing him to your dad? And Carly, I'm flattered that you think so highly of me and I love you honey, but I do mess up, sometimes really badly." She told her.

"Is that why you and daddy are fighting because you messed up? He says you aren't fighting, but I know you are." Carly said.

"I did mess up and he really doesn't want to talk to me right now, but I promise you we aren't fighting sweetie." Kate said.

"What did you do mom?" Kenny asked.

"It doesn't matter. Come on, let's watch the rest of the movie." Kate said and lay down on the floor in-between them, none of them noticing that Jack was awake and listening.

Jack went to work the next day, but just long enough to put together a workable schedule for the next few weeks, one that would get him home at a decent hour, and to clear the paperwork from his desk. He arrived home around 4 PM and went straight to the bedroom to change into something casual. She entered the closet just as he was removing his dress slacks and she stopped, swallowing hard at the sight of his hard, lean body standing in front of her wearing nothing but a form-fitting pair of boxers. He pulled on a pair of jeans and turned to face her.

"Hey." He said softly as he pulled up the zipper.

"Hey." She replied.

"How are the kids? Any signs of what Tucker had surfacing?" He asked as he pulled a t-shirt over his head.

"No, they all seem fine and Tucker has been back to normal all day. Have you eaten?" She asked.

"That's my line, have you taken your iron and eaten today Kate?" He asked.

"I have, breakfast and lunch. The kids want pizza for dinner, but I thought I'd make us something else, maybe some baked chicken and vegetables." She offered.

"You don't need to cook, you need to rest. Pizza's fine." He said and moved past her.

"Jack, if you want to go to the party tonight we could probably get Candice to babysit." She offered.

"You shouldn't over do it Kate. It wouldn't take much to set you back. I'm not a big fan of New Year's Eve parties and would rather hang out with the kids anyway." He said as he sat on the bed to change his socks.

"You mean you'd rather hang out with the kids than be alone with me." She corrected him.

"No, I'd love to spend some time alone with Kate. You'll let me know if and when she ever returns won't you?" He asked.

"Jack, I'm sorry. Please believe me when I tell you I didn't mean what I said." She pleaded with him.

"I know you didn't mean it Kate. If I believed for a second that you meant it I would've called off the engagement and suggest we go our separate ways." He told her, his tone flat and emotionless.

"So what, you're just punishing me now?" She asked.

"No Kate, I'm not. We need to talk but as far as I can tell you're not ready to have a rational discussion about your pregnancy. I know you want me to tell you I'm sorry and I am sorry. I'm sorry that you're so freaked out and scared, but I'm not sorry for getting you pregnant Kate and I'll never apologize for that. Whatever regrets I may have, my children are something I have never regretted and I don't intend to start now." He told her.

"How can you be so calm? How can you want to have one child, much less three with a woman who would be so mean and hateful to you?" She asked.

"There are two very distinct sides to you Kate. There's the happy, sweet, confident woman I fell in love with and then there's the scared, cornered animal who lashes out and suggests I'm a dominating, womanizing prick. I don't like that version of you at all, but I understand where it comes from. Even though I understand, I'm concerned Kate. I'm concerned that no matter what I do, no matter how much I love you, that side of you is never going to stop rearing its ugly head. If blaming me helps you cope with this pregnancy that's fine, I can handle that. But Kate, you've already decided that I'm assuming my job is more important than yours and that I expect you to quit your job, that I expect you to stay home and be a mother and nothing else, and that all I really care about is when I'm going to get my next piece of ass and I don't deserve that and you know I don't, so I'm concerned Kate. I'm concerned that you are never going to fully trust me and that you're never going to stop comparing me to that dick you were married to and while I understand where it comes from, I don't know how much more of it I can take before it makes me question whether or not I want to keep taking it." He explained, the brutal honesty a much needed slap to the face.

"Okay, I deserved that and I understand you aren't threatening me, you're just being honest. What if I can't ever stop Jack? What if this is just how I am? Maybe we should go our separate ways." She suggested.

"That's up to you Kate. I love you. I'm committed to making this work. Maybe you should listen to the advice you gave your son and just love me for who I am and stop comparing me to the other guy every time things get difficult." He told her.

"What if I don't know how to do that? What if being treated like a 2nd class citizen is all I know and have become conditioned to expect the worst?" She asked.

"That's bullshit Kate and you know it." He huffed.

"Is it?" She asked.

"Yes it is. You have been holding back since the beginning. Maybe if you'd just commit yourself to this fully and throw yourself into it completely you'd lose the urge to expect the worst and start learning to simply hope for the best." He offered.

"You really think it's that easy?" She asked.

"Nothing this important is ever that easy Kate, but you might stand a better shot at succeeding in this relationship if you'd just let yourself be happy and believe me when I tell you that I love you and I never, ever want to hurt you in any way." He said.

"It hurt me when you suggested I terminate this pregnancy." She told him.

"Kate, I'd hate that, but you are clearly terrified and if you really don't believe you can do this I'd support a decision to terminate. As far as I'm concerned, this is all about you right now and I'm here for you and will support you no matter what. I understand how scary the idea of carrying three babies at once must be and I had to say something that would at the very least snap you out of the denial stage." He explained as she sat next to him on the bed.

He placed his arm around her and she allowed herself to relax into the comfort of his arms for the first time since they'd received the news. She immediately felt herself becoming emotional and needy and she found herself crawling into his lap to get closer. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck, breathing in his scent and hoping it would calm her, but it didn't. It simply opened the dam and the tears came flowing freely. She sat in his lap and cried and he let her while gently rubbing a soothing hand over her back.

"I'm so scared Jack. How can my body hold that many babies at once? Is it even possible?" She asked, beginning to calm down enough to talk to him.

"You're young and you're healthy Kate. There's no medical reason why you shouldn't do just fine. You might get pretty miserable toward the end, but your body can hold three babies at once. You might not make it to 40 weeks, but I bet you could get to at least 36 weeks. They'd be little four and five pounders, but they'd be fully developed and healthy." He told her, his tone soft and comforting.

"You don't think I'd be a monster if I decided I really can't do this?" She asked.

"No, of course not. Whatever you decide, I'm with you all the way." He told her.

"Jack, I don't think I could terminate them, but I'm too scared to think about having them. It's too much Jack. It's just too much. I need someone to tell me what to do." She began crying again.

"Shh, it's going to be okay Kate. You're not going to be doing this alone. I will be with you every step of the way. If I could carry them for you I would. When they're born you won't be alone. I'll be there. When it's time to bring them home, I will be there. I promise. We can do this Kate as long as we do it together." He told her.

"What's wrong with me Jack? I'm a terrible person for feeling the way I've been feeling." She sniffled.

"No you're not. I think it's a pretty normal reaction and you're not alone Kate. I'm scared and freaked out too." He admitted.

"What are you scared of?" She asked, lifting her head and looking at him.

"I'm afraid it's going to be difficult for you towards the end. I'm afraid the kids are going to hate us for bringing three infants into this already large brood. I'm afraid you don't believe in me enough to know how much I'm going to love them or how much I love you. I'm afraid you're never going to be happy again." He told her, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I'm sorry Jack. I know I've been a psycho bitch, but I know you love me and I've seen first hand what kind of father you are so I have no doubt that you will love these babies. I'm not unhappy Jack, I'm not. I'm scared and when I get scared I get angry or as you said, behave like a cornered animal, but just sitting here talking with you and letting you hold me again has made me feel better. I wish I weren't so stubborn. I could've felt better days ago. Why do you put up with me?" She asked.

"Because I love you more than I ever loved anyone or anything in my life." He said.

"Jack, I feel so awful. The things I said to you were hideous. I know we've had this discussion before and I am trying, but please believe me when I tell you that the hate and the anger I was feeling wasn't toward you, but toward the things I hate about myself." She said, cuddling in closer and kissing his neck.

"Oh no, you were definitely pissed off at me. The stuff about my job being more important and the sex comments and you being my little helpless wife were probably stemming from the unpleasant things in your past, but you were most definitely angry with me for getting you really, really pregnant and that's okay. I'd be mad at me too." He told her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the side of her head.

"I don't want to be mad at you anymore and I don't want to say hurtful things to you ever again. According to Carly that is something Jennifer did to you a lot and even though I didn't know her, I don't think she's someone I want to pattern myself after." She said softly.

"You're nothing like her Kate. Don't beat yourself up anymore over the comments." He said.

"I've been so awful to you for days and I'm going to make it up to you Jack." She told him.

"Well, there is one thing you could do for me." He said and she sat up to look at him.

"What's that?" She asked.

"Don't let there be three more little girls in there. I think six daughters might be my undoing." He teased and placed a protective hand over her stomach.

"I love you Jack." She said and kissed him softly before relaxing back into his arms again.

They spent the evening eating junk food and watching movies with the kids and by 11 PM all six of the children were asleep in various areas of the family room, none of them able to hold out until the hour of celebration. Their parents had allowed them to wear party hats and go crazy with the noise makers the entire evening so none of them were particularly eager to stay awake until midnight just so they could make some noise. They carefully carried the sleeping children into their bedrooms. Kate took the two little ones and Jack took the two middle kids and then they walked a very sleepy Carly and Kenny into their bedrooms. With all the children tucked away securely, they relaxed onto the couch with a glass of wine. She took a sip of her wine and relaxed back into him, smiling at the gentle kiss he placed on her cheek.

"I still owe you a dance." He said softly.

"A dance?" She asked.

"Yes, remember, you asked if there would be dancing at the New Year's Eve party. I owe you a dance." He said and moved off the couch.

He held his hands out and pulled her up off the couch and into his arms. They moved toward the Ipod dock on the mantle of the fireplace. He picked up the Ipod, selected a song and placed it back in the dock, turning the volume up loud enough for them to enjoy it, but not loud enough to wake the children. She heard the familiar notes of the Beatles _"In My Life"_ begin to play, smiled, placed her arms around his neck and let her head rest on his shoulder. His hands were on her lower back, holding her close as they moved slowly to the familiar tune.

**_There are places I remember_**

**_All my life though some have changed_**

**_Some forever not for better_**

**_Some have gone and some remain_**

**_All these places had their moments_**

**_With lovers and friends I still can recall_**

**_Some are dead and some are living_**

**_In my life I've loved them all_**

She could feel his hands moving slowly up her back as he held snugly to her and began kissing her neck.

**_But of all these friends and lovers_**

**_There is no one compares with you_**

**_And these memories lose their meaning_**

**_When I think of love as something new_**

**_Though I know I'll never lose affection_**

**_For people and things that went before_**

**_I know I'll often stop and think about them_**

**_In my life I love you more_**

She could feel herself becoming emotional as she really listened to the lyrics for the first time in her life and she placed both hands on the sides of his head and pulled him away from her neck so she could look at him.

**_Though I know I'll never lose affection_**

**_For people and things that went before_**

**_I know I'll often stop and think about them_**

**_In my life I love you more_**

**_In my life I love you more_**

"Please don't ever stop loving me." She said softly and bit gently on his bottom lip.

"I don't think I could if I tried." He told her and closed the last remaining space between their mouths, pulling both of them into an all consuming expression of love.

Without breaking the kiss she began tugging him slowly toward the bedroom. He stopped her and broke the kiss. Looking lovingly into her eyes, he pushed her hair back away from her face and smiled at her.

"Let's finish our wine." He said and led her back over to the couch.

She curled up next to him and they sipped their wine together and watched the festivities leading up to the countdown on television. At midnight he kissed her and eased her down onto the couch with him, pulling her body snuggly into his and sighing contently. She turned around so she could look at him.

"Do you not want to make love?" She asked.

"I always want to make love to you Kate, but right now, I just want to hold you. I've missed you." He said as he gently caressed her arm with his fingertips.

She moved in closer until she was snuggled up closely on his chest with her face close enough for him to feel her breath on his neck. She lay quietly and breathed him in, his scent and his strong, warm body wrapped around her as effective as a sedative. Within minutes she was sleeping soundly and he was content to watch her sleep, having her relaxed and back in his arms as effective as a sedative for him as well. He grabbed the throw from the back of the couch and draped it over them, placed a soft kiss on her forehead, and closed his eyes, sleeping peacefully for the first time in days.


	23. Chapter 23

Hey all! Sorry for the delay. I hope you all enjoyed the holidays and I hope to get back to more regular updates. Thanks for reading and for reviewing!

As the next couple of weeks passed by Kate began to feel better both physically and emotionally. She and the children were back to school and back to their normal daily routines and Jack was working hard to implement some sense of normalcy into his daily routine. He realized even before he learned he was about to be the father of three more babies that with so many people at home depending on him and needing his attention that some serious changes were going to have to occur in his professional life, but with so many mouths to feed the changes couldn't be too drastic. He couldn't afford to allow his practice to suffer or to allow himself to lose his status as one of the top five neurosurgeons in the country, but he also couldn't go a week at a time without being an active participant at home anymore. That had been working well for him when he only had three children, but with three new stepsons that needed his attention and three babies on the way he had to find a way to be able to spend more time at home. The answer was fairly simple in theory. He needed to delegate more and learn to trust his younger, less experienced colleagues to handle more and while these things were simple in theory, they were difficult for Jack. He was a control freak and admittedly overly committed and while there were always going to be patients and cases that required his expertise and there were always going to be times when the hospital had to be the priority, he'd reached a point in his career where he could and should delegate more and work less.

Kate knew he was preoccupied with the dilemma, but offered no opinion on the matter. She was still coming to grips with her own dilemma and trying to decide whether or not she could realistically hope to continue teaching once the babies were born. Working outside of the home with nine young children to care for wasn't a realistic goal even though Jack insisted that they'd figure out a way to make it work if she wanted to continue teaching. She hadn't told the school about the pregnancy yet, but knew she couldn't hide it much longer. She felt like she was gaining and inch a day and had very few items left in her closet that still fit. The children needed to be told as well and she and Jack had decided they'd tell them over the weekend. It was the Friday before the 3-day Martin Luther King Day weekend and she was sitting in her classroom trying to decide if they'd made the right decision about postponing any wedding plans until after the babies were born. Shouldn't they be married before they tell the children about the babies? Wasn't that the responsible thing to do? What kind of example were they setting, especially for Carly and Kenny who were fast approaching their teenage years? Why was he so adamant about waiting? Is it really because he wants to give her a big wedding or is it something else. Kate heard a light knock and looked up. Sandy Barrett was standing in the doorway.

"Looks like we both got a break from lunch duty this week. Want to share my sandwich with me?" Sandy asked.

"Um yeah, sure. Come on in. I've actually got a sandwich here some place." Kate said and began rifling through her desk drawers.

They sat quietly, both slowly nibbling on their sandwiches. Sandy watched Kate shake a very large pill into her hand and then swallow it down with the bottle of water she had on her desk.

"That's the biggest pill I've ever seen. Are you sick?" She asked.

"No, not sick." Kate mumbled.

"Kate, is everything okay? You've been so quiet and distant since we returned from Christmas break. You've been sporting that beautiful diamond on your left hand, but you haven't said a word to anyone and trust me they're all dying to know the details." Sandy told her.

"I think the teachers in this school have too much time on their hands if my personal life is all they have to focus on." Kate grumbled.

"Oh now, don't be like that. Jack's well liked in these hallways, not to mention drop dead gorgeous. You can't really blame them for wanting to live vicariously through you can you?" Sandy teased.

" Sandy , if I tell you something do you promise to keep it between us?" Kate asked.

"Of course. Always." Sandy said.

"Jack proposed on December 24th and on the 26th of December we learned we're pregnant with triplets so no, everything is not okay." Kate told her.

"Triplets? Oh my gosh Kate, that's…that's…" Sandy searched for the right words.

"Ridiculous." Kate muttered.

"No honey it's not ridiculous, it's…..it's, well it's perfect." Sandy said and smiled.

"Are you insane?" Kate asked.

"He has three daughters, you have three sons and now you're having three together. It's precious and I get why you're so overwhelmed Kate, but you two are not going to be alone in this endeavor. I can't wait to get my hands on them." Sandy said excitedly.

"Don't you think this is a whole lot of stress for a relationship? Can any relationship survive something like this?" Kate asked.

"Kate, what's going on? Why do you think your relationship can't survive this? Is Jack not happy about the babies?" Sandy asked.

"No, he's happy." Kate said.

"Then what's wrong?" Sandy asked.

"I think I really hurt him Sandy. I think that maybe I did damage that can't be undone. I don't think he really wants to marry me anymore, but he's Jack so he's going to stick around even if he can't stand to touch me anymore." Kate said as a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Kate stop it! Where does this version of Jack you conjure up come from? Jack is a kind, loving and committed man, but if he didn't love you anymore and didn't want you any longer he wouldn't just stick around." Sandy scolded her.

"He stuck around for Jennifer." Kate accused.

"No, he stuck around for his children and he stuck around because even though he likes to deny it in order to deal with what happened, he loved her until the day she died. They had their problems, but he loved his wife Kate. What on earth makes you believe Jack doesn't love you anymore?" Sandy asked.

"I was so angry with him Sandy. Being angry with him was the only way I could deal with the news that I was having triplets and I treated him so badly for days. I said something really awful to him, something terribly hurtful and even though he says we're okay, I don't think we are because he hasn't tried to initiate sex since and he wants to wait until the babies are born to get married." Kate told her.

"Have you tried to initiate sex Kate?" She asked.

"No, not really. I've been waiting for the right signals from him, but he just seems content to cuddle and trust me Stacy he didn't used to be able to be that close without responding, if you know what I mean." Kate explained.

"Maybe he's waiting for the right signals from you. I mean if you were really that angry with him, maybe he's waiting for a green light, something that tells him you no longer want to cut his balls off and feed them to him." Stacy offered, making Kate smile for the first time since she'd walked in.

"So what? I should just attack him and hope he wants it?" Kate asked.

"You could do that or you could just talk to him Kate. If you're upset about waiting to get married tell him. He can't read your mind and you two really haven't been together long enough to have that sixth sense that people who've been together for years develop. Do you not want to wait to get married?" Sandy asked.

"He wants to give me a big wedding. I don't care about that. I just want to marry him. We could do it in the living room with nobody but the six kids in attendance and I'd be okay with that and I think that we need to be married when we tell the kids about the babies." She said.

"Have you told Jack how you feel?" Sandy asked.

"Not really. Sandy , he's trying so hard to make everything okay for all of us and I just don't have the heart to tell him that maybe I want to do something different." Kate said.

"You're not really being fair to him Kate. He can't really make things okay for you if you aren't honest with him. I think you two need some alone time." Sandy said.

"The four older kids have been invited to sleepovers tonight. I guess I could ask our neighbor if she'd be interested in keeping the two little ones." Kate said.

"Or you could just ask me." Sandy offered.

Jack entered the house and noticed immediately how quiet it was. He dropped his keys in the bowl by the door and called out for her.

"Kate?" He called.

She appeared seemingly out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hey." She said and swallowed him in a hungry, wet passionate kiss.

He became a happy and willing participant immediately and didn't object as she slowly backed him into the formal living room and pushed him down on to the couch, falling to her knees on the floor in-between his legs, her hands and mouth touching and tasting as much of his face, neck and shoulders as she could. He gently pushed her back, just enough to look at her.

"Where are the kids?" He asked.

"They're all gone for the night. It's just the two of us." She said in a seductive tone as she slowly worked the tie off of his neck.

"How'd you manage that?" He asked with a smile.

"We just got lucky I think." She said and began unbuttoning his shirt.

He grabbed her hands and pulled her up off of her knees until she was straddling his lap. He kissed her softly, still holding onto her hands.

"We should go out. We never go out. Want to go out, have a nice dinner maybe or see a movie or both?" He asked, noticing how her face fell immediately.

She moved off his lap and stood.

"Sure." She said quietly and turned to leave the room.

He held firmly to her hand and eventually coaxed her back into his lap.

"What's the matter baby?" He asked.

"We have the house to ourselves and you want to go out. Are you not attracted to me anymore Jack?" She asked.

"I'm very attracted to you. Why would you ask that?" He asked in a soft, calm tone and pulled her closer to him.

"You never touch me anymore Jack." She said.

"I touch you every day Kate. I hold you all night long." He argued.

"That's not what I mean Jack and you know it. We haven't had sex since Christmas Eve and you don't seem to miss it at all." She said.

"Oh, I miss it Kate, trust me." He told her.

"Then why? Why don't you want me anymore?" She asked.

"I do want you Kate. I wake up wanting you and go to sleep wanting you. I've just been trying to give you some time and some space to want me again, to want to be that emotionally connected again. You've had a rough few weeks. I'm just trying to be considerate of you and your feelings." He said.

"I tried to take you to bed on New Year's Eve. Did that not clue you in to the fact that I wanted you?" She asked.

"I wasn't sure if that was you really wanting me, or maybe you wanting to use sex to heal the wounds you'd inflicted. Regardless, sex just didn't feel like what we needed from each other in that particular moment. I love you Kate and I always want you, but I felt like maybe we just needed some time to process everything and just be together. I'm sorry if I made you feel unloved or unwanted." He said and kissed her on the temple.

"Jack, I love you too, so much and I don't want to get married later. I want to get married now. I want to be married when we tell the kids about the babies and I want to be married when our children are born. I don't need or want a big, fancy wedding, I just want to be your wife and I don't want to ever look back." She said.

"Okay." He said.

"Okay? Really?" She asked.

"I'm okay with getting married tonight Kate. I just thought you deserved better than a drive-thru Las Vegas marriage. I wanted you to have it all, but if you really don't want it that's okay. Do you really not want to have a special day that's just about you?" He asked.

"No, but I appreciate that you want me to have that. I'd like to have a day with you and our children and a small group of our closest friends, followed by a day or two of nothing but you, as much of you as you can stand to give me." She said and kissed him.

"I think I can arrange that. In the mean time, give me ten minutes to grab a quick shower and we can do whatever you want tonight." He said, returning the kiss and then gently moving her off of his lap.

Fifteen minutes later Jack stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was damp and his skin was pink from the hot water. He looked toward the bed and swallowed hard. Kate was standing beside the bed in a sheer nightgown that covered her from neck to mid-thigh, but hid nothing. She was bent over slightly lighting the last of the candles around the bed. There was a tray of food and a stack of DVDs sitting beside the bed. He approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her. She straightened up and leaned into him, the feel of his warm skin penetrating through the flimsy material of the see through gown.

"What's all this?" He asked as he pushed her hair aside and placed soft kisses on her neck.

"This is dinner and a movie. Hungry?" She asked and slowly turned to face him.

"A little." He answered in a breathy tone and began kissing her neck again.

"Maybe you need to work up an appetite?" She asked seductively and tugged on the towel around his waist until it fell to the floor.

He moaned in approval, his face still buried in her neck and a nearly full erection poking at her. She smiled and wrapped her hand around him, so pleased to find that he really did still want her that all she wanted was to feel him inside of her.

"I want you Jack. Now." She panted as he continued his assault on her neck.

He reached down, found the hem of the sheer nightgown and slowly gathered it in his fingers, pushing it up her thighs and butt slowly until it was gathered around her waist. She was completely nude beneath it. He pulled his mouth away from her neck just long enough to grab the nightgown and pull it up and over her head, tossing it to the floor next to his discarded towel. He took a moment to take in the beauty of her body, the signs of pregnancy beginning to be obvious and making her that much more beautiful to him. He instinctively placed a protective hand over her womb and captured her mouth with his, her mouth opening immediately and granting his tongue entrance.

"Mmm…" He moaned as he gently guided her back and onto the bed.

She lay back, opening her legs so he could position himself comfortably over her, his kiss so hungry and so full of love that she felt her stomach began to swim just before she felt his hand slide between her legs, cupping her heat and checking to see if she was as ready for him as he was for her. She answered the question for him by taking hold of his now fully erect penis and guiding him to her entrance. He pushed into her slowly and they both let go of a guttural moan, her body so excited and eager she clamped down around him, trying desperately to draw him in deeper.

"Easy babe, this won't be too much fun if you break it." He told her with a light chuckle, on the verge of orgasm and extreme pain all at the same time.

He retreated and then thrust back into her, hard and fully and she gasped and tightened her grip on his shoulders.

"I'm going to come Jack!" She cried out and then gasped again as he pulled back and thrust into her hard again.

"Look at me." He demanded as he thrust into her again and she locked eyes with him.

"Uhh…it's so good." She groaned as his thrusts began coming more frequently until he'd established a steady rhythm that would allow him to keep his release under control for awhile.

"I love you so much." He told her, feeling her explode around him and watching her eyes close tightly as she squealed and squirmed her way through it, his steady thrusts never letting up and prolonging the pleasure for her.

"You feel so good inside of me Jack, you always feel so good. Please don't ever stop making love to me." She panted, pulling him closer and kissing him with a wet, sloppy mouth.

He wished he could describe how good it felt to be inside of her, how his entire body was practically vibrating with excitement and passion and how he wished he could make these moments last for hours instead of minutes. He did his best to prolong it for as long as possible and after she peaked for the third time she rolled him onto his back and broke their connection.

"What are you doing?" He asked, trying not to sound as exasperated as he suddenly felt.

"Shh…relax baby. It's been all about me long enough, now it's your turn." She told him and slid down his body, rubbing her breasts over his painfully swollen cock a few times before placing her mouth over his tip and sucking lightly.

"Oh god…." He groaned before throwing his forearm over his eyes and allowing himself to thoroughly enjoy what she was doing to him.

He could feel her mouth swallowing him and he wanted to sit up and take a peek, but he was so close to coming and the feel of her soft delicate hands massaging his balls felt so good that he didn't want to move. He felt her pull her mouth away and then he felt her lips pursing and sucking gently on this balls just before he felt her tongue gliding up the length of him. He decided that not watching and just feeling all the sensations and imagining what she looked like while she did it was equally satisfying, maybe more so. He felt her mouth envelop all of him again and felt his tip hit the back of her throat, which immediately sent his free hand to her hair, grabbing a handful of it.

"That's so good baby, please don't stop." He panted.

She could feel his thigh muscles and the muscles in his abdomen begin to tighten and knew she'd be feeling the first spurts of him any second and prepared herself. Choking on your lover's come was a sure fired way to kill the moment and with him halfway down her throat, the odds of that happening were pretty high if she wasn't prepared for it. She deep throated him a couple more times and as soon as she felt the first spurt she backed off enough to take the majority of him on her tongue instead of the back of her throat. He came hard, his entire body trembling and little beads of sweat covering his forehead. She took all he had to offer and swallowed it, taking the time to lick him clean before finally placing a gentle kiss on his tip and letting his softening member come to rest in its nest of hair. She crawled up his body and slowly pushed his forearm away from his eyes. They were still closed and she kissed each eyelid gently.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Mmm…I'm great. I think that was definitely your best ever." He sighed happily and opened his eyes.

"Good. You deserve the best ever." She said and kissed him quickly before snuggling into his arms.

"So do you." He told her.

"Sex with you is always the best ever. I've missed you…this." She said.

"Kate, you don't ever have to miss me or this. Just initiate. I'm always here for you and trust me, if the planets were completely out of alignment and hell had frozen over and I didn't want to make love to you, I'd tell you." He told her and kissed the top of her head.

"No Jack, you weren't here for me, but that's because I didn't deserve to have you. It's okay for you to admit you were mad and hurt and just didn't want to sleep with me. I'll buy that part of it was that you were waiting me out and trying to be considerate of my feelings, but will you please admit part of it was also that I hurt you with my ugly comment and the desire just wasn't there." Kate pleaded with him.

"Okay, maybe that was part of it, but it's okay Kate." He said.

"No Jack. It'll never be okay for me to hurt you like that and believe me, that look in your eyes will haunt me forever so hopefully that'll be enough to get me to bite my tongue the next time I feel the urge to jab a verbal knife through your heart. What Jennifer did must've hurt on a level that not many of us can hope to understand and what I said to you was disgusting and cruel and I am so sorry and so grateful that I'm here tonight in your arms." She told him.

"Kate, please don't beat yourself up over that. People fight and they say stupid and often mean things when they do. Yes it hurt, but I know that you love me and that you didn't mean it. I think that maybe we just needed that little break. We needed the time to cool off and just reconnect as two people who love each other and are building a life together. We weren't having sex, but we were having some good and necessary discussions as well as time to just be together. Sex is important in a relationship, but it doesn't define a relationship and I never doubted once that we'd reconnect sexually eventually. I'm sorry if the distance hurt you. I certainly never meant to hurt you, not consciously anyway. I can't vouch for my subconscious anymore than you can so we won't go there. Okay?" He said.

"Okay, but maybe if you could screw up really bad at least just once so I wouldn't feel like I'm the one making all the mistakes I'd feel better." She said, making him laugh lightly.

"I'm sure that's going to happen and more than once. I'm not perfect Kate and the longer you live with me, the more you're going to realize that unfortunately. Hopefully you'll still love me anyway." He said.

"What could you possibly do that would ever make me mad enough to stop loving you?" She asked and yawned as he pulled the sheets up over their chilled bodies.

"Well, I can be very stubborn and ridiculously jealous and there are times when I get obsessive about my work and need to be slapped back into reality and we won't even discuss my over-protective nature and how you're going to be ready to kill me and ship the body parts off to a variety of locations by the time these babies arrive." He told her, making her laugh.

She scooted up until she was facing him and kissed him.

"I love you Jack and I can't wait to meet our babies." She told him, and then giggled as he rolled her onto her back and pinned her beneath him.

"What do you say we eat and then make our own movie?" He asked and kissed her passionately.

"I want to make a lifetime of movies with you Jack." She said and returned the kiss with equal fervor.

He finally broke the kiss and began moving down her body, paying lots of attention to her breasts on the way down. She could feel his breath at her bikini line and gently ran her fingers through his hair.

"Jack, I thought we were going to eat dinner." She said.

"I know, but I've always been a bit of a bad boy when it comes to having my dessert before my dinner." He told her right before he began making a meal out of her.

Dinner would have to wait.


	24. Chapter 24

He stood at his end of the closet buttoning his shirt watching her struggle to fasten the too tight pair of pants and then had to turn away when both the button and zipper gave way and burst open so she wouldn't see that it was taking everything he had not to laugh.

"I see you back there snickering in the corner and I'm telling you right now Jack, you're so not getting laid tonight." She grumbled as he approached her.

"Yeah, you say that this morning, but your hormones will be singing a different tune tonight." He teased and kissed her on the cheek.

"Maybe I'll just dust off my vibrator and take care of things myself." She said.

"Ooohh, can I watch? I could probably use a break anyway." He asked.

"Jack, you're not being very supportive." She sighed.

"Kate, I am being supportive. I love you and you're beautiful and I love that you're wearing me out sexually, but there is nothing I can do to make clothes that are two sizes too small fit you." He told her.

"You could get too fat for your clothes. That would be supportive." She huffed, making him chuckle.

"Or, you could go buy some clothes that fit." He suggested.

"I can't start wearing maternity clothes until we start telling people I'm pregnant." She said.

"Kate, I don't think we can put that off any longer. I know you want to wait until we're married to tell the kids, but look at you, I don't think that's possible." He said.

"We're getting married February 12th. That's only three more weeks. I can squeeze into these clothes for three more weeks." She said.

"I disagree, but it's your decision. I've got to get to work. Do you want me to drop the kids at their respective daycares on my way?" He asked.

"No, I told them they could ride to school with me today. I don't have any papers to grade this morning." She said.

Kate pulled into the parking lot of the school. Kendall had been in full blown defiant brat mode all morning, the time out Jack had given her just before he left having no affect on her and Kate was beginning to understand why with this particular child he had been forced to resort to spanking. Kendall spotted her newest little friend on the sidewalk and removed herself from the restraints of her car seat.

"Hold up there little one. Wait until I get back there to help you out." Kate said as she caught the activity in the rear view mirror.

"I got it myself!" Kendall said.

"Don't get out of the car Kendall. Wait for me or Carly to come help you and hold your hand." Kate warned.

"No! I'm going!" Kendall announced and opened her car door.

She managed to climb out of the SUV and slam the door before Kate could get unbuckled and get out of the SUV and around to the passenger side to grab her. By the time Kate came around the front of the SUV, Kendall was headed toward the back of the SUV and into the parking lot that separated them from the sidewalk where her little friend was. Kate saw the truck that was approaching and screamed for Kendall to stop. Kendall froze long enough for Kate to get to her and push her out of the way before the truck hit her and knocked her to the ground. Luckily it was a parking lot and the truck wasn't moving so fast it couldn't slow down, but it was a big truck and it hit her hard enough to knock her down and terrify everyone who witnessed it.

Sandy Barrett was on the sidewalk and immediately ran over to where Kate lay on the ground. Carly and Jordan were already by her side, crying and screaming at Kendall.

"Girls I'm okay. It's okay." Kate told them as she attempted to get up.

"Stay down Kate. Let me call an ambulance." Sandy insisted as the crowd around her grew larger.

"I don't need an ambulance Sandy. He didn't hit me that hard." Kate argued and tried to get up again.

"Kate you're pregnant and you just got hit by a 3,000 pound truck. Stay down." Sandy insisted.

"You're pregnant?" Carly asked.

Kate glared at Sandy and then refocused her attention on Carly.

"We'll talk about this inside sweetie, okay?" Kate said.

"I'm calling daddy." Carly said and reached inside her backpack for her cell phone.

"Carly no, honey he's so busy and I'm fine, I promise I'm fine." Kate pleaded with her as the child walked away in search of enough privacy to call her father.

Jack was in the middle of a surgical consult when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He glanced down, saw that it was Carly and excused himself.

Kate saw Carly walking toward her with the phone in her hand and knew she wasn't going to win this battle. She took the phone from Carly and held it to her ear.

"I'm going to send an ambulance without lights and sirens. I want you to get in it and I'll meet you in the ER." Jack said.

"Jack I'm fine, really. I'll have a bruise, but I don't need an ambulance." She told him.

"Kate." He pleaded with her.

"Jack I promise. It didn't hit me that hard. It just knocked me off balance." Kate said.

"Fine, I'll come to you. Let me talk to Sandy ." Jack said.

"She's uh…..she's not here right now." Kate said.

"Kate, Carly already told me that Sandy spilled the beans about the pregnancy and wants to call an ambulance so please let me talk to her." Jack said.

"Jack you don't need to come running down here to check on me. I'm fine." She said.

"I believe you believe that, but if you don't mind I need to see for myself. Give me to Sandy. Please." He persisted.

"He wants to talk to you." Kate said and handed Sandy the phone.

Sandy had a short conversation with Jack and she handed the phone back to Kate.

"I'll be there in 15 minutes." Jack said.

"Fine, but can we not make a big deal out of this?" Kate sighed.

"Goodbye Kate. I love you." He said and clicked the phone off.

"What did he say to you?" Kate asked Sandy as she attempted to stand again.

"He said to take you to the nurse's office, make you lie down and not let you up and that I should sit on you if I have to." Sandy told her

"Kate, are you really okay?" Carly asked.

"I'm fine honey. Do you think you can help me out and get your sisters to their classrooms and I promise we'll talk, just as soon as everything settles down." Kate said as she allowed Sandy to support her on the right side as they walked toward the school, her legs a bit shaky from the shock of the incident.

Sandy escorted Kate to the nurse's office and she sat on the small bed, refusing to lie down. Principal Armstrong entered the room and the three women looked at one another, the silence deafening.

"Are you okay Ms. Austen?" Principal Armstrong asked.

"Yes, I'm fine really. It looked worse than it was." Kate tried to laugh it off.

"You're pregnant?" Principal Armstrong asked.

"Yes, about 14 weeks. We were waiting for the right time to tell everyone." Kate said.

"I see." Principal Armstrong said.

"Is there a problem?" Kate asked, sensing that there was.

"I should go check on your classrooms. Children shouldn't be left unattended." Principal Armstrong said and left the room.

"Kate, I'm so sorry. I never meant to just blurt your secret out like that. I was just so scared. Will you ever forgive me?" Sandy asked.

"You're forgiven. Don't worry about it. Jack was right. It was foolish of me to continue to try to keep this a secret. Carly didn't seem upset about it." Kate said.

"No, no, she didn't. I really am sorry." Sandy apologized again.

"Forget about it. You should get to your kids Sandy. I'll be fine and I promise not to move until Jack gets here." She said.

"Do you promise because I don't want him mad at me too." Sandy said.

"I'm not mad at you Sandy. I'm just fat and my clothes are too tight and I will no doubt be the gossip of the entire school by lunch time. Add that to the fact that Jack is on his way to hover and I just feel like I could crawl out of my skin. I think I really need some me time. Want to go shopping with me tonight?" Kate asked.

"Sure. What are we shopping for?" Sandy asked.

"Whale clothes." She groaned.

"Oh stop it. You're beautiful and I will pick you up at your house at five." Sandy said and left the room, meeting a frantic Jack in the hallway.

"Is she still in there?" He asked.

"Jack, she's in there and she's fine and she's feeling very suffocated at the moment so don't go charging in there making demands and whatever you do don't hover." Sandy advised.

"I don't hover." He said.

"Jack, I've seen you when your children are sick. You hover." Sandy told him forcing a half smile onto his face.

"I don't know what to do for her. She's been so sick and then she was so distraught and now she seems to be in an acceptance phase, but still clinging a bit to the denial. Those pants she's wearing are held together at the waist with a safety pin because she won't go buy some clothes that fit. Now she's been run over by a truck?" Jack rambled.

"She was tapped by a truck Jack and she just invited me to go shopping tonight so apparently the clothes aren't an issue any longer. Maybe knowing that it's not a secret anymore is allowing her to let go of the denial completely so don't be late tonight. We're leaving at 5 PM and you're babysitting." She told him and slapped him lightly on the upper arm.

Jack entered the room and found her sitting on the bed. He sat beside her and put his arm around her, doing his best not to hover.

"You're having a bad day." He said softly.

"Kendall would've slipped under the wheels of that truck Jack and the driver never would've seen her. I'm sorry, I tried to stop her. She was in a mood today and just wouldn't listen." Kate told him and snuggled in closer to him, his warmth and his scent soothing the edginess she was feeling earlier.

"Kate, you knocked her out of the way and put yourself in harms way. Why are you apologizing?" Jack asked.

"I never should've allowed her to get away from me. I'm so sorry Jack." She continued to apologize.

"Kate, kids get away from us, it happens all the time. I talked to Carly again after I talked to you. I called her to make sure she was okay. She seemed pretty upset. She told me what Kendall did and how bratty she'd been all morning. You need to punish her tonight Kate and the punishment needs to be harsh. Are you up for that?" He asked.

"You want me to punish her?" Kate asked.

"Kate, we're getting married in three weeks. We are the parents of six children and soon to be nine children. They need to know that we are a team, that they have to respect and listen to both of us, that we are essentially mom and dad to them and there is no my dad, your mom, his kids or her kids, but just one family that loves and respects each other. I can punish Kendall tonight, but I think it's best if you do it." He explained.

"You don't want me to spank her do you because I don't think I could do that." Kate said.

"I want you to do whatever you think needs to be done. You were there. You know how she was behaving so you should decide what the punishment should be and I'll be right there by your side agreeing with whatever you come up with. A word of advice, don't let the eyes get to you. Look away or they'll suck you in and weaken you." He told her and she laughed lightly.

"I love you Jack. Do you think we could just hide out in here the rest of the day?" She asked.

"Why do you want to hide out? What's wrong?" He asked.

"Carly and Jordan know I'm pregnant and they need an explanation and the whole school is going to be gossiping about the knocked up unmarried teacher. I just don't want to deal with any of it today." She sighed.

"Lay down and let me check you out." He said and gently guided her back onto the bed.

He carefully pressed and poked around the bruised area where the truck had connected with her body and pressed around her uterus looking for any kind of reaction and got none. She wasn't in pain and the babies seemed to be tucked away safely as far as he could tell. He pulled her shirt down, leaned in and kissed her gently on the mouth.

"I'll be home early today. We'll talk to the kids together. I don't have an answer for the school gossip. This is the year 2011 so hopefully it won't be as ridiculous as you're fearing it will be. I'm not ashamed of you or our babies, are you?" He asked.

"No, of course not." She said.

"Then don't let people who obviously have no life make you feel ashamed." He said.

"It's always so easy for you Jack. Why is that?" She asked.

"It's not. I've been the subject of hospital gossip before and it's not pleasant. I'm just giving you advice I didn't really follow all that well myself in hopes that you won't let the busy bodies of the world make you feel shame you shouldn't feel." He admitted.

"I'm just really not up for this today." She sighed.

He leaned in and kissed her again before helping her sit up. He was just about to sit beside her again when Principal Armstrong knocked lightly and entered the room.

"Is she okay Jack?" Principal Armstrong asked.

"I think so, but I think just to be on the safe side she should go home and spend the day with her feet up. Kate, if you feel any cramping or experience any bleeding you should call me or your doctor immediately." Jack said and winked at Kate.

"You should go home Kate. I'll get a sub for your classroom." Principal Armstrong said.

"Are you sure it won't be a problem?" Kate asked.

"I'm positive. I'm glad you're okay. It's good seeing you Jack." Principal Armstrong said and left the room.

"Did you just write me a bogus doctor's note to get me out of school?" Kate teased.

"You're going to get me a 3-month leave of absence in about six months so I figured I owed you." He told her and pulled her to her feet.

"Three months? You're really going to take off for three months?" She asked.

"I am. The hospital's chief of surgery already approved it and my colleagues are salivating at the idea of the slave driver not being in the office for three months." He told her.

"You told people already?" Kate asked.

"Just the people who needed to know. A three month leave needs to be approved and planned for months ahead of time. They're all pretty happy for us by the way." He said.

"That means you'll be home while all the other kids are out of school for the summer." Kate said.

"If you make it until mid June to deliver then yes, I'll be around all summer. Should be fun huh?" He said and kissed her.

"Maybe I'll surprise you and my doctor and make it all the way until my July 8th due date." She said.

"Maybe you will." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into him.

She allowed herself to melt into his embrace and let her head rest on the space just below his shoulder.

"You have no idea how relieved I am. Just knowing that you're going to be there to help with all these children those first three months takes a lot of the stress and fear away." She said.

"Kate, I told you I'm going to be there for you and I meant it. Now, you deserve to spend the next six months being pampered and you should start today. Take the car and go do whatever it is you ladies like to do to pamper yourselves. I'll take the SUV and I'll pick the kids up after school and grab some pizza on the way home and while they're eating we can talk to them about the babies." He said.

"You're my hero." She sighed happily as she leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips.

They stood at the breakfast bar and watched the six children stuff their faces with pizza and breadsticks, neither knowing how to bring the subject up or what they were going to say once they did. The silent contemplation didn't last long though.

"Daddy, did you put a baby inside Kate?" Jordan asked, making the other children stop chewing and slurping and look over to their parents.

"Yes, Kate is pregnant." Jack answered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as an unexpected case of nerves began to take hold of him.

"You put a baby inside of my mommy? Why did you do that?" Simon asked.

"He probably didn't mean to." Carly answered with a giggle.

"That's gross." Kenny chimed in.

"What's gross about it?" Jordan asked.

"Do you know how babies get made Jordan?" Kenny asked his tone still making it clear that the idea of his mom doing those things he'd learned about was creeping him out.

"Yes, the mommy and the daddy decide they want a baby and then the daddy puts the baby in the mommy." Jordan answered.

"How does he put the baby inside of her?" Simon asked.

"He takes his…." Kenny started to explain and was cut off immediately by Kate.

"Okay son, let's save that for a time when he's older." Kate said.

Jack and Kate noticed that neither Kendall nor Tucker were the least bit interested in the conversation their siblings were having and they supposed that was for the best since both were really too young to fully comprehend what was about to happen.

"Are you having a girl baby or boy baby?" Jordan asked.

"We don't know yet, maybe both." Jack answered.

"What? You're having twins?" Carly screeched.

"What's twins?" Simon asked.

"It's when two babies grow in the mom's stomach at the same time." Kenny answered.

"Dad, are you really having two babies." Carly asked.

"No, we're having three babies." He told her and all four children looked at them, mouths hanging open and eyes as wide as saucers.

"Are they going to be my brothers too or are they just Jack's kids?" Kenny asked.

"You mean they won't be my sisters?" Jordan asked.

"You guys, they'll be your brothers or sisters. They're just lucky because they'll have a mom and a dad instead of just one of each." Carly told them.

"I thought Kate was going to be our mom when she marries daddy." Jordan said.

"Step mom and it's not the same as a real mom. You don't get to call her mom just like I don't get to call Jack dad." Kenny told her.

"I don't?" Jordan asked visibly upset by this news.

Although the child had shown very little interest or expressed much enthusiasm over the prospect of Kate becoming her new mother, she'd secretly been waiting for the day and hoping that Kate was going to want to be her new mom.

"Kenny that's not true. It is the same as a real mom because I love all of you and Jordan, Carly and Kendall don't have to call me mom, but if they want to I'd like it very much because I very much want to be their mother." Kate told them.

"Do you want to be our dad?" Simon asked Jack.

"Very much so, but if you don't want to call me dad you don't have to." Jack answered making eye contact with Kenny who seemed to be a bit uncomfortable with the idea.

"I'm going to have a dad." Simon chanted as he happily danced in his chair making Jack smile.

"He's a good daddy Simon, you're lucky." Jordan said.

"You're lucky too because my mom is the best mommy in the world and now she's going to be your mom too." Simon told her.

"Yeah." Jordan agreed and smiled, making Kate smile.

"Dad, am I going to have change diapers?" Carly asked.

"Three babies is a lot Carly and we're going to need all the help we can get." Jack answered.

"Okay, but you guys have to do the bad poopy ones." Carly agreed, making Jack chuckle.

"What about you Kenny? How do you feel about all of this?" Kate asked.

"Are you going to put the babies in my room?" Kenny asked.

"No honey, they're too little. They'll probably all stay in a room we'll make up for them." Kate told him.

"Okay then I guess it's kind of cool, but I can't call you dad Jack because if my dad comes back for me and finds out I found a new dad he'll be mad." Kenny told him.

"That's fine Kenny as long as you always know I'm here for you. Okay?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. Can we be excused now?" Kenny asked.

"If you guys are done eating, put your plates and cups in the sink and go get busy on your homework." Kate said.

They watched the six children carry their plates and cups to the sink, the older children helping Tucker and Kendall place theirs on the counter that was much too high for them to reach. Kendall walked by on her way to the family room and Kate grabbed hold of her shoulder gently.

"We need to have a talk about what happened today little one." Kate told her.

"I don't want to. I want to watch cartoons." Kendall said and pulled away from her.

Kate took a firmer hold on the child and sat down on one of the dining room table chairs, holding firmly to the little girl's hands as she positioned her in front of her. Jack took a seat in the chair behind Kate.

"I'm sorry you got runned over." Kendall said.

"Kendall what if I hadn't gotten there in time? That big truck would've hit you. When I say wait for me that means wait for me." Kate said.

"You were too slow. My friend was going away. I can do stuff by myself. I'm not a baby." Kendall insisted.

"No, you're not a baby, but you are still very young and you can't do things by yourself, not yet. What you did was very bad and you have to be punished." Kate told her, looking away as the big eyes staring back at her begin to fill with tears.

"No please. I won't do it again. Daddy, please make Kate be nice to me." Kendall begged.

"Listen to Kate Kendall." Jack responded in the voice she knew meant business.

"When I tell you do something you have to listen to me Kendall and if you don't you'll get punished. It's Thursday so I think for the next two days, no television and you have to go to bed at 7:30." Kate said.

"Can I still have my Saturday?" Kendall asked fighting the tears that wanted to spill over.

"You can't go to Melissa's birthday party on Saturday." Kate said.

"No! It's not fair! Daddy make her say I can go. It's too mean!" Kendall cried, the birthday party at the Kidz Zone where every inflatable known to man existed, something she'd been looking forward to for a couple of weeks.

"Sorry baby, you messed up and you have to be punished. Maybe next time you decide you're not going to listen you'll remember this and think better of it." Jack told her.

"I'm sorry Kate. Please, let me go to my party?" Kendall begged, wearing down all of Kate's defenses.

She felt Jack's hand on her lower back and took a deep breath.

"I can't do that honey. Now go on to your bedroom and think about what you did and your dad will be in to help you with your bath in a few minutes." Kate told her

Kendall slowly walked out of the room, defeated and sad and looking as if she were making the final walk to the death chamber. Jack could tell Kate was upset and turned her to face him.

"I was too mean Jack. I need to let her go to the party." She said, her voice shaky.

"No you don't and you weren't too mean. Kate she could've been killed today and so could you. You're tough. I don't know if I'll do that well the first time one of the boys needs to be disciplined." He complimented her.

"You won't. You're a big ole softie and Tucker and Simon have you snowed." She laughed lightly, starting to feel a little better.

"I love you." He said and leaned in and kissed her.

"I love you too. This is really going to work isn't it?" She asked.

"Yes, it is. The kids handled the news about the babies really well. Do you suppose they were just in shock and the real reaction will come later?" He asked.

"I think they're going have a love/hate attitude about the babies as time goes on and once they get here, all hell is going to break loose." She told him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.

"Yeah, but it'll be a heavenly hell." He said and kissed her back.

"Okay, I take back what I said this morning. You are definitely getting lucky tonight." She told him, making him smile.

"Mmm, then you better get going on your shopping trip with Sandy so I can make sure all of these kids are bathed and in bed by the time you get home. Buy something sexy that I can rip off of you." He spoke softly into her ear, hearing her moan softly and grinning.

"You're pretty proud of yourself right this minute aren't you?" She asked, pretending to be put out with him.

"I just wanted to give you something to think about while you were out. I hear Sandy's car. Should I tell her you'll be out as soon as you change your panties?" He teased.

"Sure, as long as you don't mind me describing every detail of your scrumptious anatomy to her." She teased back.

"Don't do that. It'll make parent/teacher conferences awkward." He chuckled and then kissed her fully, allowing it to intensify and linger until the doorbell rang.

"See you in a few hours?" She asked.

"Call me when you're close. I'll have a bubble bath waiting for you." He said, kissing her once more and then escorting her to the front door.


	25. Chapter 25

_**I am so sorry everyone. My job has been impossible and I haven't had the time or the energy to write and well, unfortunately, earning a paycheck has to take precedence over having fun with my hobby. I'll try to do better and get this story moving along again.**_

He'd had an early surgery that morning and now was back in his office trying to catch up on paperwork. He had about an hour before his next patient was scheduled and was starving. He was just about to close the file on his desk and go find a sandwich when his office door opened. Her eyes were red and swollen and her body language screamed "I am distraught and sad and need a hug." He immediately stood and made his way over to her, placing his arms around her and pulling her into his chest, scared and wondering what awful thing had happened, but taking a moment to comfort her before he began interrogating her.

"Kate what's wrong? Is it the babies?" He asked.

"No, they're fine, but in a round about way I guess it is about them. I'm sorry I just showed up here, I didn't know where else to go." She said and hugged him closer.

Jack noticed the puzzled office assistant still standing in the doorway.

"Thank you Donna." Jack said and closed the door.

He walked Kate over to the small sofa in his office and sat them both down.

"What happened? Is it one of the kids?" He asked.

"No, they're fine. I got fired." She said, whatever tears she had for this situation apparently all cried out.

"You got fired? What…..I mean how…did they say why?" He asked.

"When I accepted the position I signed a morals clause. Apparently being pregnant and unmarried violates our agreement. I'm setting a bad example for the children. I've been exiled and given a Scarlet Letter to wear." She said sadly.

"I'm sorry Kate. That must've been awful." He said, his anger boiling just below the surface, but maintaining a calm demeanor for the moment for her sake.

"It was humiliating Jack. I was called into a room full of administrators and basically told I was a morally corrupt individual who shouldn't be allowed to be around children. They were so self-righteous and judgmental." She told him and he could tell she felt ashamed and he found he could no longer hold back the anger.

"Kate, I'm so sorry they made you feel the way you're feeling right now. I can't do anything about this, but I can remove my daughters from their school." He growled.

"No Jack, don't do that. It's a good school and they're so happy there." She said, trying not to let the fact that he'd referred to them as **his** daughters bother her

"Kate, it's only a matter of time before all this gets back to them and I don't want people telling them that we are bad people or tainting the arrival of these babies in any way." He argued.

"Then we'll be proactive about it. We'll tell them what happened and explain to them how some people see this as inappropriate and explain to them why we don't happen to share those beliefs. At least let them finish out the school year. They've had enough change in their lives lately." Kate argued.

"It's ridiculous that we have to do that Kate. They've basically put you on trial and cast you out like the town whore and hell will freeze over before I will allow my daughters to believe it is ever okay to judge people like that. I'm taking them out of school." He stated angrily and stubbornly.

"Jack you need to calm down and not do something rash." Kate said sternly.

"Don't tell me to calm down Kate. This is bullshit. They'll be fine. Children adapt quickly." He said.

"Yes, they do, but these children have had to endure a lot of adapting lately and now you're just going to take away the one constant they've had through all the turmoil and it's wrong. You're not being fair to them Jack, you're only thinking about yourself." She accused.

"Maybe I am, but they are my daughters and I'll decide what's best for them." He spat angrily, regretting the words the moment they spilled recklessly out of his mouth.

He saw the hurt in her eyes and all over her face for a brief moment and then it was replaced with anger, an anger he'd not seen from her before and he was wishing he weren't seeing now. He placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Kate, I didn't mean…" He tried to apologize.

"Oh no Jack you meant it. So this is how it's going to be huh? All that stuff you went on and on about us being a family and them being our children instead of yours or mine was what….just a lie to pacify me?" She asked.

"No Kate, I meant it. I'm just upset and angry and I said something stupid. I'm sorry." He apologized.

"You know what Jack. I'm too tired to do this with you. Do whatever you want with **your** daughters. I'm going home. Should I pick **your** children up after school or do you want to take care of that yourself?" She asked.

"Kate." He mumbled.

"Is that a yes?" She snapped, unwilling to consider forgiving him or talking with him any longer.

"I won't get out of here before six so yes, I'd appreciate it if you could get the girls." He said.

She left his office in a huff and he spent the rest of the afternoon frustrated and moody, the sandwich and the fact that he was starving long forgotten. He couldn't concentrate on his work so when the text telling him he needed to come home now came across his phone around 4:30 PM he closed the file in front of him and left.

He tried to call her to find out what was going on, but her phone kept going straight to voice mail. He finally called Carly's phone and when she answered all he could hear was the sound of young children arguing loudly.

"Shut up you guys! I can't hear!" Carly yelled and he pulled the phone away from his ear.

"What's going on Carly?" He asked.

"I don't want to talk about it dad." She snapped at him.

"I don't like your tone." He said sternly.

"I don't like a lot of things dad, but that doesn't matter to you so why should I care whether or not you like my tone!" She spat hatefully into the phone and hung up on him.

He didn't call back and didn't try to call Kate either. He just spent the rest of the 20 minute drive to his house wondering what kind of hell was breaking loose and if he had anything left inside of him to actually deal with it.

When he entered the home he could hear the children bickering in the family room. He dropped his keys in the bowl on the small table in the hall by the door, took a deep breath and walked toward the ruckus. Carly, Kenny, Simon and Jordan were bickering back and forth. Kate and the two younger children were nowhere to be seen. After a minute or two of listening to them spew hateful things at each other he finally stepped in the middle of them and separated them, putting the two boys on one side of the room and the two girls on the other side.

"Where are Kate and Kendall and Tucker?" He asked.

"Kate took them into the kitchen with her." Jordan answered.

"What is going on? Why are you kids fighting?" He asked.

None of the children spoke up. They simply glared at one another and then at him.

"Carly." He said.

"What? Why do you always ask me? Why do I always have to be the one to talk?" She shrieked, obviously distraught.

"Because he likes you the best even though you act like a bitch." Kenny hissed.

"That's enough!" Jack scolded them.

"It's true." Kenny accused.

"Kenny, I don't like any of you the best, right now I don't think I like any of you at all. I can't believe the hateful things you were saying to each other when I walked in here. You're going to be brothers and sisters and you're supposed to love each other." Jack told them.

"She said my mom ruined her life." Kenny told him.

Jack looked over at Carly who was as angry and upset as he'd seen her in a long time.

"It's true dad. The whole school knows she got fired because she couldn't keep her legs together." Carly spat so hatefully he took a step backwards for a brief moment while he reeled in the rage he suddenly felt toward his 12 year old.

"Do we need to go find some soap for that mouth?" He asked.

"No." Carly mumbled seeing the anger in his eyes.

"Go to your room and stay there until I come to get you." He demanded.

"No dad! You can't fix this by punishing me! Everything is all ruined and it's you and Kate's fault and I don't want to live in this stupid big family with all these stupid kids and I don't want those stupid babies to come live here either. I hate you!" Carly screamed.

"Carly you are upset and you don't mean the things you are saying." He said, taking hold of her arms gently and trying to settle her down.

"I do too." She argued.

"No honey you don't and I need you to calm down so we can talk about what happened." Jack said.

"What is there to talk about? The whole school knows Kate's a slut." Carly growled angrily as Jack clenched his fists so he wouldn't slap her across the face.

"Don't call my mom a slut!" Kenny yelled as he moved off the couch and toward her, shoving her backwards into the fireplace.

She caught herself before the bricks managed to scrape more than just the back of her calves and lunged toward him. Jack wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back.

"Stop!" Kate yelled from the doorway.

Everybody froze and looked toward her as she slowly made her way into the room.

"Kenny, if I ever see you hit or shove a girl again you'll be grounded for so long you'll forget what fresh air feels like. And you little miss mouth, if you have things you feel you want or need to say about me you need to come say them to my face. Both of you can spend this weekend figuring out how to set a better example for these younger children because you'll be spending the weekend in your bedrooms. Your dinner is on the table, I suggest you go eat before it gets cold." Kate told them and then bit back a smile as Simon and Jordan all but ran out of the room without uttering a word.

"You can't punish me, you're not my mom." Carly hissed.

"I'm the only mom you've got little girl and yes, I can punish you. Now, go eat your dinner. We're going to have a family meeting afterward and everybody gets a chance to talk, but only talk. No more hysterics and no more hatefulness. Got it?" Kate asked.

Carly looked to Jack.

"When she tells you to do something don't look to me to change it. Go eat your dinner." Jack told her.

"I'll throw up if I eat." Carly said softly.

"Okay, then how about you go sit in the formal living room and calm yourself down and you can have something later when you're feeling better." Kate told her.

Carly looked from Kate to her dad and then back to Kate again. She wasn't sure what she was feeling, but some day when she was older and she remembered this moment she'd understand that she was feeling relief coupled with respect. She slowly walked away from them without looking back and disappeared into the hallway. Kate looked up at Jack and she could tell that he was a man at the end of his rope. He'd been a rock through all of this, but even rocks eventually crumble when the weight becomes too much to bear. She went up onto her tip-toes and kissed him softly. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"I'm not mad at you." She told him.

"You should be." He said.

"No, I shouldn't. I'm the queen of saying things I don't mean in the heat of the moment. I understand how it happens and how awful you feel when it does. I'm just so happy to see to this less than perfect, solid as a rock side of you and I decided something today." She said.

"Yeah, what's that?" He asked.

"I decided that I'm going to start behaving like the equal partner that you believe I am. No more weak, weepy, fragile little flower that you feel like you have to take care of." She said.

"Kate, I don't think of you like that. I understand that you've been overwhelmed and I always knew you'd be fine once you had to time to adjust to all the changes." He said.

"You're a sweet, wonderful man Jack and I appreciate how patient and loving you been, but I'm not the only one who's been overwhelmed. I've never given you the opportunity to freak out over all of this." She said.

"I don't want to freak out over it Kate." He said.

"I know you don't, but maybe you need to. When I told you my news today in your office you looked like a man who might self-destruct at any moment. You have such a stressful job and you've been busting your ass at home trying to make everyone feel happy, safe and secure and I'm sorry I didn't notice before today that maybe someone needs to do the same for you." She said.

"Don't be sorry. I feel happy, safe and secure." He said and kissed the side of her neck, still holding tightly to her.

"Then what is it Jack? Why do you look like you're ready to…..well, quit?" She asked.

"I'm not ready to quit. It's just that some days I feel like I'm the only one who is genuinely happy about the three human-beings growing inside of you and it's starting to wear me down a bit. They're three innocent babies, my babies, and there's never a positive reaction to them. There's been a whole lot of angst, anger, regret and shame surrounding them and children should never be surrounded by that kind of negativity, not even children who are still in the womb. And Carly, god where did that level of hatefulness even come from?" He told her.

"Jack, I'm genuinely happy about these babies. I wasn't at first and I'm sorry about that, but today I can honestly say that I'd kill anyone that tried to harm them and Carly is only repeating the ugly comments she heard from others. She's confused and upset and she didn't mean what she said." Kate said.

"Kate, I hate that those pompous asses at that school made you feel ashamed. I wish that you could understand why I can't allow the girls to go back there. It goes against everything I want to teach our children. I want to make it clear that we don't agree with their point of view or approve of what happened, and how can we do that if we allow them to go back, especially after the things that were said about you today." He stated his case, more calmly than he had in his office earlier that day.

"You're right." She told him and kissed him on the cheek.

"I am?" He asked in a shocked tone and pulled her back so he could look at her.

"You are, but I think that we should make our feelings clear and then allow Carly and Jordan to decide what they want. We can't make this their battle Jack. It isn't fair to them and I know that you know that. If they want to leave the school I can home school them the rest of the year and then we'll have the summer to decide where we'd like all six of them to go to school next year, but if they want to stay and finish out the school year I think we should let them. The damage is already done Jack and it should be up to them whether or not they want to go back." She reasoned.

"I don't want you to have to home school them. You need a break from the kids. I'm sorry Kate. I've handled all of this badly. I just want to protect all of you and I'm having a hard time accepting that I can't protect any of you, not from the reality that people can really suck anyway." He sighed.

"Don't be sorry Jack. These are things I love about you and if the girls don't want to go back to school I would relish the bonding time I'd have with them the next few months and wouldn't mind at all. Now, I'm going to go in there and make sure the kids aren't throwing food at each other while you go talk to Carly." She told him.

"You don't want to do it together?" He asked.

"Carly and I are going to have a nice long talk about women keeping their legs together and what defines slutty behavior, but I think that right now she just needs her dad." Kate said and smiled at him.

"I love you, you know that right? I can't wait to marry you." He said.

"Me either." She said and moaned into his mouth as he kissed her deeply.

Jack entered the formal living room slowly, trying to read his daughter's body language and feeling a tug in his stomach over how distraught she seemed to be. He moved toward the couch and sat beside her. She immediately moved down to the cushion furthest away from him and he followed, scooting in beside her and leaving her no place to go.

"If mom wasn't dead would you let me go live with her?" She asked.

"Carly." He said.

"No dad, I mean it. Would you?" She asked.

"If your mom weren't dead we'd probably still be married." He said.

"That's not an answer dad." Carly told him.

"If your mom and I had ever divorced she would've kept you girls. We talked about it sometimes and we both agreed that you girls would stay with her and I would get to visit as much as I wanted, so yes if she were still alive I'd most likely let you go live with her." He told her.

"You didn't want us?" Carly asked.

"No, I did, but so did she and she didn't work and would've been able to provide a better home for you than someone like me who has such a demanding job." He explained.

"I don't think she would've wanted us dad." Carly sighed.

"Honey, what is this? I know you had a really bad day at school, but are you really so miserable you want to go live somewhere else?" He asked.

"I don't want to go back to school dad and if I lived some place else I could go to a different school. You don't know what it's like. I feel like we're dirty or something." Carly said sadly.

"I'm sorry that they made you feel that way. Do you believe that there is something dirty or wrong about me getting Kate pregnant?" He asked.

"Ms. Phillips said people are supposed to get married before they make babies and Amber told me she can't come stay at our house anymore because there are fornicators here. That's bad right?" She asked.

"Carly, I didn't ask you what other people think, I asked what you think. How do you feel about Kate being pregnant? Do you feel like we did something wrong? Does it feel dirty to you?" He asked.

"It didn't, but now I don't know. Did you do something wrong? Are you fornicators?" She asked.

"Honey, fornication is sex between two consenting adults who aren't married. It sounds like a really bad thing, but it's not and no we didn't do anything wrong. We love each other Carly and we like to express that love to each other. There is never anything wrong or dirty about two people who love each other making love and I don't want you to ever let anyone convince you otherwise." He said.

"So it would be okay for me to have sex?" Carly asked.

"No." He answered quickly and firmly.

"But what if I was in love?" She asked.

"Carly a person needs to reach a certain level of emotional maturity before they are ready for sex and you aren't there yet. The dad in me wants to lie to you and tell you that you won't be mature enough until you're 30, but the truth of the matter is that you're probably going to meet some boy when you're 15 or 16 and he's going to want nothing more than to fornicate with you and you're going to be really confused about what you want to do. Hopefully when that day comes you'll come talk to me or to Kate and we'll have this conversation again and you'll be a bit more ready emotionally to understand the kinds of feelings that go along with wanting to make love to someone. But honey, the most important thing to take from this conversation today is to believe that those kinds of feelings are not dirty or something to be ashamed of." Jack said.

"Then how come they fired Kate?" Carly asked.

"We're going to talk about that later when we have our family meeting." Jack told her.

"Daddy, would it be stupid if Jordy and Kendall and I called Kate mom?" Carly asked.

"Who said it would be stupid?" Jack asked.

"Amber said it would be stupid because she's not our real mom, but what's a real mom? My real mom hated me so much she killed herself. Kate doesn't hate me and I think she wants to be my mom. Isn't that all that matters?" Carly asked.

"Yes, that is all that matters and no it wouldn't be stupid and Carly, your mom didn't hate you. What she did was all about her and had nothing to do with you or your sisters." Jack told her, placing a gentle arm around her and kissing the side of her head.

"Daddy, can we get a different house?" Carly asked.

"Why? Is this one getting too crowded?" He asked.

"No, it's just that this was mom's house and I think Kate needs a house of her own so she can make it look the way Kate would make it look and I could help her." Carly said.

"That's nice Carly and it's probably not a bad idea. We could use an extra bedroom so you and Kenny can have your own rooms and we're definitely going to need a bigger kitchen and dining room for all those high chairs." He told her and gave her light squeeze, hoping she could feel the love he had for her oozing out of his pores.

"I love you daddy and I'm sorry I was so cross earlier. It's too much sometimes." She told him as she crawled into his lap and hugged him.

He could feel the warm tears on the side of his neck and could feel her back heaving under his palm as she sobbed and held as tightly to him as she could.

"Baby what's the matter?" He asked softly.

"She just left us dad. It was so scary and good mothers don't do that. Can we please just move away and never think about her again. Please daddy. It hurts too much and I can't stand it." She cried.

He didn't respond to her. He simply held his sad, broken, trembling child in his arms and let her have the meltdown she apparently needed to have. There weren't enough medications or therapies out there to heal a child from something so horrible and days like the one she'd had today would always bring all the pain back to the surface. Time and lots of love were the only things that were ever going to get Carly completely past the trauma and moving forward and perhaps a new house might be helpful, he'd definitely consider it and talk with Kate about it.

With five of the children in bed for the night and Jack on the phone with the hospital, Kate took Carly into the kitchen and made her a sandwich. Kate watched the child as she slowly ate the sandwich and drank her milk. She looked exhausted and worn down. Kate reached out and pushed the strand of hair that was hanging down behind her ear.

"Are you okay sweetie? You look like you don't feel well." Kate said.

"I have a little bit of a headache, probably because I got too upset today. Dad lets me have one grown-up Tylenol when I get a headache." She told her.

Kate retrieved a Tylenol and placed it on the table in front of the child. She popped it into her mouth and swallowed it down with her milk.

"I'm looking forward to us spending the days together." Kate told her.

"Yeah, I'm glad Mrs. Barrett assured daddy that she would protect Jordy from the gossip. I love my sisters, but I need a break from them." Carly said and rolled her eyes.

"Honey, I'm so sorry that you had such a terrible day because of me. I love you and I never wanted to do anything to hurt you." Kate apologized.

"It's not your fault Kate. I'm sorry I said I didn't want the babies to come live here. I didn't mean it." Carly said.

"I know you didn't honey. We all say things we don't mean when we're upset. What do you think Carly, are they all boys, all girls or a combination of both?" Kate asked.

"I think a combination of both. That would be cool. When can we find out?" Carly asked.

"Probably in another 4 or 5 weeks." Kate answered.

"Do you think I can come watch when they do the test?" Carly asked.

"I think that would be great, but let's not tell the other kids. It'll just be our secret." Kate told her.

"What about daddy? He'll want to be there too so he has to know the secret." Carly said.

"If he wants to be there and can get off work to be there we'll let him in on the secret." Kate said and winked at her.

"Kate, can I ask you something?" Carly asked.

"Sure, anything." Kate answered.

"Do you want to be my mom and please don't say you want to be whatever I want you be. I want to know what you really want." Carly said.

"Carly, I would love to be your mom, but if you don't want that it's okay. I just want us to have a good relationship. I want you to know you can count on me to be here for you no matter what and I realize I have to earn that kind of trust from you." Kate said.

"No you don't." Carly said.

"I don't what?" Kate asked.

"You don't have to earn my trust. You haven't done anything to make me not want to trust you. Dad could've found a really awful girlfriend that only pretended to like us like that mean lady in "The Parent Trap" but you've always been nice to us. You were nice to me before you were my dad's girlfriend. I trust you so I'm going to ask you this and I know you won't lie to me. Do you promise you won't ever leave us no matter what? Even if you and daddy get divorced will you still be my mom?" Carly asked.

Kate swallowed back the lump in her throat and tried to control the liquid pooling in her eyes.

"I promise you Carly, you are stuck with me forever." She told her.

"I'm full. I think I'm ready to go to bed now." Carly said.

Kate didn't ask Carly's permission. She simply walked her back to the bedroom she shared with her sisters and tucked her into bed, brushing the hair back from her forehead and placing a soft kiss there.

"Kate, would you stay with me, just until I fall asleep?" Carly asked and pulled the blankets back so Kate could crawl in beside her.

"Sure." Kate said and made herself comfortable in the bed.

Carly snuggled up beside her and lay her head on Kate's shoulder.

"Kate." Carly said softly through a deep, lengthy yawn.

"Do I have to wait until you marry my dad to call you mom?" Carly asked.

"No honey, you can start right now if you want to." Kate said.

"Goodnight mom, I love you." Carly said sleepily.

"I love you too sweetie." Kate said and kissed the top of her head.

Kate snuck away from Carly and searched the house for Jack, finding him in their bedroom taking a shower. She stripped out of her clothes, pulled her hair up and stepped into the shower with him, welcoming the strong, comforting arms that immediately wrapped around her and pulled her close.

"I was afraid you were going to have to go to work." She said.

"No, just needed to change the dosage of the medications for a couple of my patients. Is everything okay, you seem a little, I don't know, shell-shocked." He said.

"No, everything is not ok, I'm very horny. Can you help me with that?" She asked in a playful tone.

"I think I might be able to come up with a cure for that after I wash your back and dry you off." He replied in an equally playful tone.

"Let's just get dirty first and wash later." She said, nuzzling her face into his neck and biting gently.

"You are horny aren't you?" He chuckled and moved his hand over her butt and down, inching his fingers close enough to her heat to elicit a hungry moan.

"You should take advantage of these opportunities Jack. Pretty soon I'll be too big to fit in the shower with you." She said softly as she nibbled on his ear.

"I should, but I don't want a quickie in the shower, I want to use the bed and make it last." He said as he gently pried her mouth off of his neck.

"I was hoping we could do both." She said as she wrapped her hand around his hardening length and began to pump slowly.

"You're going to be the death of me, you know that don't you?" He teased and kissed her soflty.

"I'll do my best to make sure you die with a smile on your face." She returned the tease before capturing his mouth in a wet, passionate kiss that meant the time for talk and teasing was over.

They lay in the bed, their naked bodies completely cooled and relaxed. She was cuddled up next to him enjoying the feel of his fingers moving slowly up and down her back. He was quiet and she wondered what he was thinking about.

"A dollar for your thoughts." She offered quietly.

"A whole dollar? Really?" He chuckled softly.

"They seem deep and worth much more than a penny. What's on your mind Jack? Are you still upset about earlier?" She asked.

"I was thinking about you and the three little people growing inside of you. I can't wait for the first sonogram, can't wait to meet them." He said and squeezed her gently.

"So you want to be there for all that stuff huh?" She asked.

"Of course, why wouldn't I? I can still remember the first time I saw each one of my girls in the womb. I think that's when I fell in love with them, not the first time I held each one of them, but the first time I saw their tiny little body all curled up and growing." He said.

"That's so sweet Jack. I can't imagine what it'll be like to have the father of my children involved in the pregnancy." She said.

"Every step of the way baby and it's going to be great. You believe that don't you?" He asked.

"I believe you believe that and I believe in you so I'm going to take your word for it. It's okay if I get a little scared and freaked out sometimes though isn't it?" She asked.

"Only if you promise to tell me you're scared or freaked out so I can help you feel better. Promise me you'll never be unhappy and not share that with me." He said, his tone serious and sad.

She pushed herself up and looked at him.

"Hey, what's going on with you? You seem so sad." She said.

"Jennifer was pregnant when she killed herself. She was in her sixth month and she wasn't happy about it, not at all, but we decided not to terminate the pregnancy. I fell in love with him Kate and she just took him away. I can't imagine what it must be like for a woman to carry a child inside of her for nearly 10 months. I know that it has to be down right miserable at times, but I don't understand how anyone could see a sonogram, could feel the life inside of her moving and kicking and still play such a dangerous game knowing that she was putting that life in serious danger." He told her.

"Oh Jack, I'm so sorry. No wonder all of the negative reaction to the triplets has literally sucked the life out of you. I'm sorry babe and I promise you that I will share every unhappy and miserable moment with you, but please believe me when I tell you that I am happy about these children and that I can't wait to meet them." She told him.

"I know you wouldn't do anything crazy Kate, I just want you to lean on me, to believe that you can be cranky and miserable and pissed off at me and that I won't take it personally. I love you so much and I know that when I see them, I'm going to fall in love with them and there is nothing that I can't endure to help ensure their safe and happy arrival into this world so don't hold back and don't ever feel like you can't share every little ache and pain with me. I'm in for all of it Kate, as much of it as you can stand for me to be in it." He told her and coaxed her back down until she was lying on his chest again.

"Did he have a name, your son?" She asked.

"No, and I didn't give him one. The girls don't know about him." Jack said.

"I'm surprised Carly doesn't remember that her mom was pregnant." Kate said.

"Jennifer never got very big with any of our children and really wasn't showing at all, so the girls had no idea she was pregnant and believe me it wasn't joyous news we shared with anyone. She was adamant all along that we not tell anyone until we absolutely had to. It was like he was a dirty secret or something. I guess that should've clued me in to the fact that she was unstable, but I just thought she was pissed off about being pregnant and was punishing me and that she'd come around eventually because that was pretty much how we spent our entire marriage." He sighed heavily.

"Jack, I'm not so sure Carly doesn't know her mother was pregnant. Maybe my pregnancy and all the hateful comments about it at school is what triggered the meltdown she had." Kate suggested.

"I guess it's possible, but why wouldn't she ask me about it?" Jack asked.

"Maybe it's not something she's consciously aware of or maybe because she's a very intuitive little girl and knows how much questions like that would hurt you, but either way, I think it's going to be good that she wants to be so involved with this pregnancy. She wants to go with us to find out of the sex of the babies and I told her she could." Kate told him.

"That's good, but won't the other five get jealous and want to come too?" Jack asked.

"They won't know about it." Kate said.

"Ah, I see, the two of you have a secret pact. Is she going to be upset that I know the secret?" Jack asked.

"No, I told her we had to let you come too if you wanted to. She also asked if she could call me mom now or if she had to wait until after the wedding." Kate told him and even though he couldn't see her face he could tell she was beaming.

"I hope you told her yes." Jack said.

"I did. It should be interesting to see how the other kids react to it. Will they follow suit, or will they rebel against it. I suspect Kenny is going to have a real problem with the whole mom and dad thing. He still thinks his dad might come back some day." Kate said.

"It's fine Kate. He doesn't ever have to call me dad if he doesn't want to." He told her and kissed the top of her head softly.

"But, what if I want him to call you dad?" Kate asked.

"I don't think it much matters what you and I want, the kids have to make that decision for themselves." Jack said.

"That's what I thought too, but when Carly asked what I wanted it made me wonder if maybe we're putting too much pressure on them by not voicing how we truly feel." Kate said.

"I think telling Kenny that we want him to call me dad would be too much pressure Kate. He needs to know he's not upsetting or disappointing anyone if he can't do that. I think Carly put you on the spot because she hoped she already knew the answer. She needed to hear that from you. If and when Kenny feels the same way something similar will probably transpire." Jack said.

"You're probably right, but it'd sure be nice if this large brood of children were all calling us mom and dad." She sighed.

"I know. Give it time Kate. We've only been together a few months. Let's get married and find a new house and let the rest of this really sticky emotional stuff come on its own." Jack said.

"A new house?" Kate asked.

"Carly begged me to move us out of here. She says she hates all the memories and that you deserve a house to make your own. I think she's probably right. We need more space and you do deserve a home that you can make your own." He said.

"Well, a formal living room in a home with six children is a bit pretentious." She giggled.

"I agree. Imagine if we had all that wasted space added to the family room or the dining room." He said.

"Maybe we should build something to our own specifications." She said.

"We could do that, but we need to at least go look at some homes and see if there isn't something out there already built that we like." He said.

"Okay, I'm warning you now, I can be very picky." She agreed as she sat up and tried to move away from him, stopped by him gently taking hold of her arm.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"I'm going to put some clothes on in case the kids come barging in, you should do the same." She said and then giggled as he pulled her back down on top of him.

"The door is locked and can stay that way. What do you say, want to stay naked with me and have some more fun?" He asked and began nibbling on her neck.

"I thought I was going to be the death of you." She laughed lightly.

"You are, but I plan on enjoying every moment until then." He said, rolling her onto her back and kissing her passionately.


	26. Chapter 26

The task was simple enough. Get three boys bathed, dressed, groomed and to the church by 2 PM. He'd been juggling an insanely demanding medical career and the demands of three little girls for the past four years and they'd always managed to be where they were supposed to be, presentable and fully clothed. Of course none of his daughters had ever gone through a streaker stage so he wasn't quite sure how to handle a four year old boy who refused to keep his pants on. Every time he turned around the toddler was stripped naked and his patience was wearing thin. He wrangled the giggly boy into his lap and began the task of putting his clothes on for the fourth, and what he hoped would be the final time.

"I gotta go potty." Tucker whined.

"Tuck, you're going to make us late and mommy is going to be very unhappy with us." Jack groaned.

"I gotta go!" Tucker demanded.

"Fine, go to the bathroom, but come right back buddy. Okay?" Jack said and set the boy down.

"Okay!" Tucker agreed and ran toward the bathroom.

Jack watched the toddler run away and his older brother enter the room, white socks on his feet and peanut butter on his tie.

"Simon, I told you guys no eating until after the ceremony and where are your black socks?" He asked as he escorted the boy into the kitchen.

"I'm starving and the black socks make my feet itchy." Simon complained.

"You aren't starving. I just fed you guys an hour ago and you know you aren't supposed to eat peanut butter. You're allergic." Jack scolded him gently.

"But I love peanut butter." Simon argued as Jack lifted him up onto the counter so he could clean the peanut butter off of his tie.

"I know you do buddy, but it makes you sick. You don't want to be too sick to go to the big party this afternoon do you?" Jack asked.

"No, can you fix it Jack? I don't want to miss the party." Simon pleaded almost in tears.

"I'll give you some of your allergy medicine, you should be fine, but I want you to promise me you will stop eating the things that make you sick. It's important Simon." He told him.

"It's not fair. The other kids get to eat whatever they want." Simon pouted.

"No, it's not fair, but it's not the end of the world either. You still get to eat your mom's chocolate chip cookies and there's nothing better than that. Right?" Jack said and held one of the aforementioned cookies up in front of the boy.

"I can eat it? Really? What if I get crumbs on my suit?" Simon asked.

"I trust that you won't. I guess your pants are long enough that it won't matter what color your socks are so as soon as you are done with that cookie will you please go put your dress shoes on?" Jack asked.

"Can I ask you something?" Simon asked.

"Anything." Jack answered.

"How come you want to be my dad?" Simon asked.

"Why wouldn't I want to be your dad?" Jack asked.

"Because you have your own kids." Simon replied.

"You're all my kids Simon and I love all of you." Jack told him.

"Kenny says he already has a dad. How come I don't?" Simon asked.

"Everybody had a dad Simon. You and Kenny and Tucker all have the same dad, but he's what we call a biological father." Jack tried to explain.

"What's that?" Simon asked.

"Simon, babies are made from a part of the mom and a part of the dad and when the two parts come together a baby grows inside the mother's tummy. A biological father is the dad whose part was used to help make the baby, but just because a man helps make a baby it doesn't automatically make him a dad. A dad is someone who loves you, takes care of you, protects you, wants to spend time with you and teaches you as much as he can to help you grow." Jack explained.

"How come my blogical father doesn't want to do that?" Simon asked.

"I don't know Simon. Maybe he has problems we don't understand, but whatever the reason it's not because of you. You are a great kid and I want to do all the things a father does for you." Jack said.

"Carly calls my mommy mom. Did she have a blogical mother who didn't want to be a mom?' Simon asked.

"No, the girl's biological mother died and now Kate is going to be their new mom because she loves them and wants to do all things a mother does for them. I think the girls are pretty lucky to be getting such a great mom. What do you think?" Jack asked.

"They are real lucky. She's the best mom in the whole world." Simon said with a big smile.

"I agree." Jack said, kissing the boy gently on the forehead before lifting him off of the counter and setting him down on the floor.

"Jack." Simon said as Jack squatted down in front of the boy to straighten his tie.

"Yes." Jack said.

"Can I start calling you dad tomorrow?" Simon asked.

"Tomorrow huh?" Jack replied lightly.

"Yeah, after you marry my mom. You're kind of marrying us too so we should call you dad after today. Right?" Simon asked.

Jack looked at the boy, his mother's eyes staring back at him anxiously and he hoped that he wasn't blowing this, that he was giving this child the right answers, the ones he wanted and needed to hear.

"In a little while I'm going to promise to love your mom forever and when I make that promise Simon, I'll be promising to love you and your brothers forever too. As soon as I put the ring on your mom's finger you guys will be my sons so I think you can start calling me dad right after the wedding if you want to." Jack told him, seeing the child's eyes light up and big smile spread across his face.

"Want to know a secret Jack?" Simon asked.

"Sure. If you want to share one with me." Jack said.

"On my last birthday I wished for a dad when I blew my candles out." Simon told him as quietly as a seven year old was capable of whispering.

"You did huh?" Jack said.

"Uh huh. Do you know when my birthday is?" Simon asked.

"It's August 26th." Jack answered.

"You met my mom the very next month. It worked." Simon said happily.

"I'm glad it did." Jack told him and hugged him gently.

"I'm glad too and you want to know one more secret?" Simon asked as he pulled away from Jack's embrace, still holding his cookie in his hand.

"What's that?" Jack asked.

"Mommy keeps a diaper on the closet shelf in our room. She threatens to put it on Tucker if he won't leave his clothes on. Just show him the diaper. He'll leave his clothes on." Simon told him.

"Oh really. How come I've never seen her do this?" Jack chuckled as he straightened up.

"I don't know. He hasn't taked his clothes off in a long time. Maybe it's bcuz he knows mommy isn't here." Simon shrugged and walked away, smiling and slowly eating his cookie.

Jack laughed lightly and moved out of the kitchen and in search of Tucker. He found him in the family room, naked and playing a video game with Kenny whose was wearing a pair of Converse sneakers and no tie.

"You boys are determined to make me miss my own wedding aren't you?" Jack said as he reached between them and paused the game.

"Hey! No fair! I was almost done." Kenny protested.

"Put on a proper pair of shoes and a tie and you can finish if there is still time." Jack said.

"Mom said I could wear these shoes." Kenny mumbled.

"No, she didn't." Jack said.

"How do you know?" Kenny continued to be difficult.

"Because we discussed in detail what each of you would be wearing today and trust me, a pair of dirty white sneakers wasn't part of the details. Now go and change them." Jack said in a sterner tone.

"Why are you being mean?" Kenny asked.

"Why are you being difficult?" Jack asked.

"Ties are stupid and those dress shoes hurt my feet." Kenny continued to protest causing Jack to drop his head and pinch the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger while he counted to ten.

"Kenny, we have to be at the church in 30 minutes. Your bother is naked and I'm only half dressed. Are we really going to do this now?" He asked.

"Some dad, you can't even make a four year old keep his clothes on." Kenny remarked and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, he is definitely getting the better of me today that's for sure." Jack agreed.

"Well, if you can't make him stay dressed then you can't make me change my shoes." Kenny told hm.

"Tell you what Kenny. You either go change your shoes and put a tie on right now or you're going to be grounded for the rest of the weekend, which means you don't get to spend the weekend with Travis and his family." Jack threatened.

"You'll be on your honeymoon. You won't know what I do." Kenny huffed defiantly.

"Trust me son, I always know what you're doing regardless of where I am. So what's it going to be? Are you going to dress properly or are you going to spend the weekend with Candice and the little kids?" Jack asked.

Kenny moved out of the family room without saying another word. He'd been moody and ticking for the last couple of days and both Jack and Kate were hoping to get through the ceremony and the reception without a major eruption.

Jack picked Tucker up and carried him to the boy's bedroom. Kenny was sitting on his bed fidgeting with the tie he was supposed to wear. Jack chose to ignore him and deal with the matter at hand, a naked four year old. He found the diaper on the closet shelf and pulled it down. He held it up in front of Tucker.

"Do you want to have to wear this?" Jack asked.

"No! No baby!" Tucker screamed.

"Well, babies run around naked not big boys. Are you a big boy or a baby?" Jack asked.

"I'm a big boy!" Tucker shouted.

"Okay then, let's get you dressed." Jack said and carried the boy down the hall picking up the child's discarded clothing along the way.

Simon and Tucker were dressed, ties tied, faces clean, dress shoes on and on the correct feet and hair combed perfectly. Jack sat them in front of a puzzle and all but begged them not to move from the spot. They promised they wouldn't. He went in search of Kenny, finding him in his bedroom on the verge of a meltdown as he tugged at and angrily cursed at the uncooperative tie. Jack chose to ignore the profanity the child let loose and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Want some help with that?" Jack asked in a soft, kind voice.

"No! It's stupid and I'm not going to wear it!" Kenny yelled, yanking the tie from around his neck, crumpling it into a ball and throwing it at Jack.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you didn't know how to tie a tie. You know every boy or man at some point in his life has to be taught how to tie a tie. I can teach you right now or I can tie it for you today and teach you later, whatever you want." Jack offered cautiously.

"I don't want you to do it! I want my real dad to do it! He always wore ties. Why didn't he teach me?" Kenny asked his tone a heartbreaking mixture of anger and sadness.

"Maybe he never had a chance to." Jack offered.

"He had chances. He just didn't. Why didn't he?" Kenny asked.

"I don't know Kenny." Jack answered, feeling helpless to ease the boy's apparent suffering.

"I'm sorry I said mean stuff about what kind of dad you are. You're a good dad, way better than he ever was." Kenny said his bottom lip puckering and on the verge of tears.

"I know you didn't mean it and I understand you're upset and confused. I wish I could do something to help." Jack said.

"So you're not mad at me?" Kenny asked as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"No Kenny, I'm not mad. I just want you to be happy and I can tell you aren't and I wish I knew why so I could try to fix things." He said and gently wiped the tear away with his thumb.

"I'm happy here Jack, I'm just mad and I'm scared." He admitted with a small voice.

Jack sat on the bed and held the boy's hands in his, pulling him closer so they could look at one another.

"Why are you mad and what are you afraid of?" He asked and watched the flood gates open, the eruption they'd been anticipating happening and his mother not around to comfort him.

Jack pulled the boy toward him and hugged him, rubbing a soothing hand over his back and allowing him to cry.

"I'm supposed to be excited about getting a new dad today, but I'm mad because my mom won't tell me where my real dad is. How can I be excited about a new dad when I don't know what I did to make the old one leave?" Kenny cried on his shoulder.

Jack pulled the boy back, stood and walked him into the bathroom. He applied a cool cloth to his face until the tears subsided and he calmed down some and then he walked him back into the bedroom. He sat on the bed again, hoping that by equalizing their height he wouldn't seem intimidating to the child. He placed the discarded tie around the boy's collar and began tying it for him.

"You didn't make your dad leave Kenny." Jack told him.

"Then why did he leave? The reason he left is bad isn't it? You want to be my dad, but you won't tell me the truth. A good dad wouldn't lie to his kid." Kenny reasoned.

"I've never lied to you Kenny and I never will." Jack told him.

"My real dad is bad isn't he Jack?" Kenny asked.

"Yes." Jack answered.

"He's in prison isn't he?" Kenny asked.

"Yes." Jack answered.

"Why? What did he do?" Kenny asked.

"He broke the law Kenny and we aren't going to talk about the specifics today because your mom is right, you aren't old enough to fully understand what it all means. Can you trust me and your mom and believe that when the time is right, we'll explain all of it to you?" Jack asked.

"I guess, but can you at least say whether or not he hurt somebody?" Kenny asked.

"Yes, he did. He hurt a lot of people, some worse than others." Jack said.

"Is he going to get out and come hurt all of us?" Kenny asked.

"No he's never getting out. Is that what's scaring you?" Jack asked.

"No, I'm scared I'm going to be bad too. Am I going to be bad like him?" Kenny asked.

"No. What your father did has nothing to do with you or your brothers. You're going to be awesome, all three of you. Your mom loves you and I love you and we're going to do everything we can to give you a happy life. I won't ever hurt you Kenny, not intentionally. I promise." He told him as he put the finishing touches on the freshly tied tie.

"Will you ever leave?" Kenny asked.

"No, I'll never leave you, not voluntarily anyway. Can you do me a really big favor?" Jack asked and smiled at the boy.

"What?" Kenny asked.

"Can you try to stop worrying about what to call me? You call me whatever you're comfortable calling me." Jack said softly and offered and comforting smile.

"Won't it be weird if kids who aren't yours start calling you dad?" Kenny asked.

"Do I need to adopt you three boys in order to convince you that you're mine?" Jack asked.

"You would do that?" Kenny asked.

"Of course, but do you know what it means to adopt someone?" Jack asked.

"It means you sign papers that say I'm your son. My friend Jimmy is adopted, he told me all about it." Kenny said.

"That's right. Do you want me to adopt you?" Jack asked.

"I just want to know if you would." Kenny answered.

"Yes, I would." Jack told him.

Kenny hugged him again and then pulled back.

"Good. I bet Mom's going to be mad that you told me the truth about my dad." Kenny said.

"Probably at first, but I think she'll understand why I did and agree it was the right thing to do." Jack said.

"I think you shouldn't tell her until after your honeymoon." Kenny suggested, making Jack let go of a light laugh.

"I think you're probably right. Come on, let's go get married." Jack said, placing his hand on Kenny's shoulder and escorting him out of the bedroom.

The wedding was small and void of most of what people consider traditional. The bride wasn't wearing a flowing white gown, but instead a nice, tasteful dress and the groom was wearing a suit and tie, the colors in his tie matching the red trim of her cream colored dress perfectly. He didn't wait alone at the altar while someone escorted his bride to him, but instead they made the journey together, arm in arm. There wasn't a best man or a maid of honor, but instead six children standing beside them as they took their vows. The boys were dressed in black suits, their ties also matching the red trim in their mother's dress and the girls wore matching red dresses with cream trim. To all those observing they looked like a group who was meant to be a family and while the children were very well behaved for the most part, those witnessing couldn't help but laugh when Kendall tugged on Jack's arm during the traditional kissing of the bride and asked if they could all have cake now.

Kate and the three girls had left the house early that morning. They were going to eat a big breakfast and then spend hours at the beauty salon getting made up for the day. Jack couldn't help but smile when he saw the girls with their perfectly styled hair with the baby's breath weaved through the delicate strands. They were all wearing light touches of make-up and it appeared they'd all received manicures as well. They were beautiful and she was beautiful and as they stood back and looked at the six beautiful children they'd created individually they couldn't help but wonder how perfect the three they made together were going to be.

The day had been as close to perfect as they could've hoped for. Kendall and Tucker conspired to get a taste of the cake before it was time to cut it. The trails in the icing where the small fingers had stolen a taste seemed perfect to them and they made sure the photographer included them in the photos, along with photos of the co-conspirators with the evidence of their deed on their faces.

The children all seemed happy, whatever anxieties any of them were experiencing over their parents' situation seemingly put aside for the day or perhaps maybe even eased by the nuptials. Perhaps the permanency the event signified had helped ease their minds and helped them feel a bit more stabilized. Their parents were married and for the first time in over four years all of them had both a mom and a dad and the term "step" was not something that was ever going to be used. They were, for better or for worse, finally a family.

As the celebration began to wind down and the parents were gathering their children for their final set of instructions and goodbyes Jordan became weepy, not happy about letting go of her new mother for two whole days and on the verge of a meltdown. Simon was wheezing, the peanut butter he'd consumed earlier in the day causing his asthma to act up and Tucker had suddenly developed a stomach ache. Kendall had made herself at home in her father's arms and wasn't willing to be put down and when the bride and groom were ready to nix the honeymoon plans and stay home with their children, Carly and Kenny stepped forward and put the kibosh on that idea. Both children gave up their plans to spend the next two days with a friend and offered to stay and help Candice with their younger siblings, who according to them were being big brats and would be fine.

So, with a crowd on the sidewalk in front of the church cheering them on, a few weepy kids and the sun beginning to set on their day, the bride and the groom climbed into the back of the waiting limousine that would make the 2-1/2 hour drive to the bed and breakfast in wine country. They closed the door and neither looked back, the weepy faces of three of their children requiring more resolve than either possessed. Kate immediately slipped the heeled shoes off of her feet, curled her legs up on the seat beside her and leaned into him, feeling his arm wrap around her and sighing contently.

"It's been a really long day. Let's not ever do that again." She said.

"You mean you don't want to renew our vows every year?" He asked in a teasing fashion.

"Maybe when we're old and our children are all old enough to get ready for the day on their own. You can't imagine what it's like trying to get baby's breath weaved into the hair of a five year old who can't sit still for more than five seconds." Kate said.

"It's probably a lot like trying to make a four year old exhibitionist keep his clothes on, especially when they're clothes that aren't all that comfortable." Jack said.

"Sorry. I thought Tucker was finally through that stage or I would've warned you. I shouldn't complain. The girls were actually very cooperative and did well and the day, while long, really was kind of perfect Jack. I can't believe we're married. It feels kind of surreal." She told him.

"It does. I have something to tell you and you're probably not going to be too happy with me so would you rather I tell you now and take the risk of this marriage not getting consummated anytime soon or wait until after we've spent a couple of days in peace and tranquility?" He asked.

"That sounds rather ominous. Tell me now. Whatever it is I can't imagine it'll be bad enough to make me not want to have sex with you. Is it possible for anything to be bad enough to make me stop wanting that?" She asked, making him laugh lightly for a moment.

"I told Kenny the truth about his father." Jack said and then backed away slightly when she immediately lifted her head from his chest and came at him with angry eyes.

"Jack, how could you do that without talking to me first? You knew I didn't want him to know." Kate asked, her voice nearly shrieking.

"Kate he already had it figured out. He asked me if his dad was in prison. Was I supposed to lie to him?" Jack defended his action.

"Yes, you were! Goddammit Jack!" She spat angrily.

"Kate I'm sorry. He was so upset and so angry and confused and he played the "if you really want to be my dad you won't lie to me" card and it worked. I just couldn't lie to him Kate. If you could've seen him you would've done the same thing. He's 11 years old and he's carrying around these abandonment issues. He thought his father left because of him. Would you really rather have him believing that instead of the truth?" Jack explained and felt a little relief when he saw her face and eyes begin to soften.

"No, I wouldn't and I didn't ever want him to feel that way. I should've known he was feeling that way. Did you tell him everything?" Kate asked.

"No. He asked me if he hurt people and I told him that he did, but that we weren't going to talk about what he did until he was older and more capable of understanding the things he did. He wanted to know if he was going to get out and hurt all of us and I assured him he wouldn't and then he wanted to know if he was going to be bad too." Jack told her.

"My son's been carrying around a lot of shit." Kate said sadly.

"Our son." Jack corrected her.

"What?" Kate asked absently, her mind obviously still distracted with thoughts of her child.

"He's our son Kate and yes, our kids, especially our oldest ones carry a lot of shit around, but hopefully that's all going to get better now that we're a family. You know he asked me if I would consider adopting him." He told her, unable to mask the pride and happiness he was feeling about it.

"What did you tell him?" She asked.

"That'd I do it in a heartbeat." He said and leaned in to kiss her.

"It sounds like the two of you had quite a conversation. I'm sorry I got so angry Jack and I'm very happy that Kenny felt safe enough to confide in you. Maybe I underestimated my son's willingness to accept you as his new dad. He certainly seems to have realized that having you in that role is a good thing." Kate said and relaxed back into him.

"I don't know if he's fully realized that yet, but I think he's attracted to the idea of letting go of all that hurt and anger and at the very least allowing me to be his friend." Jack said.

"We really do have some great kids Jack. They all looked so beautiful and handsome today and for the most part they were well behaved." She said proudly.

"I have a wedding present for you." He said, gently moving her off of him and moving to the other end of the limousine to retrieve the two packages he had stashed there.

She immediately recognized the square shape of the one package and knew it was full of the little cakes that had become their thing. The other package looked suspiciously like lingerie.

"Do these little cakes have a message on them?" She asked and lifted the lid.

They did have a message, it was short and simple. It simply read "I love you Mrs. Shephard".

"Are you always going to be this sweet or will it wear off eventually?" She asked and held one of the little cakes up to his mouth.

"It doesn't wear off, but I trust you'll let me know if you ever get sick of it." He said as he took a bite of the cake.

"A woman would have to be out of her mind to find something like this sickening." She said and began unwrapping the other package, not finding lingerie, but a large white envelope instead.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Open it and find out." He encouraged her with a light laugh.

She opened the envelope and inside was a pamphlet for a housing addition along with the floor plans for what appeared to be a very large house.

"Again, what is this?" She asked.

"Well, it can be our house if you want it to be." He said and opened the pamphlet for her.

"You bought me a house for a wedding present?" She asked.

"No. I would never buy something like that without asking you first, but if you like it then yes, it's yours." He said and began pointing out all the highlights of the housing addition to her.

"One of my colleagues is married to a broker. He knew we were considering a new house and asked me take a drive with him one afternoon. It's two stories and the lot it is sitting on is huge, lots of room for outdoor play equipment. There is also a porch that wraps around the entire house. It has seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, a good sized kitchen and dining area and a living room that takes up almost the entire bottom floor of the house. The original plans had included a formal dining room and formal living area, but the couple they were building it for had four children and didn't want the space wasted. The master bedroom and one other bedroom is on the bottom floor along with a master bathroom, a full bath off of the bedroom and a ½ bath off of the kitchen and dining area. Upstairs there are five really big bedrooms and two full baths. Kate it's perfect. It's like it was built for us." He told her unable to hide his excitement.

"Jack this house is enormous. Is that an office off of the master bedroom?" She asked.

"Yes, a small one, which is good because I'm going to need a place to be able to work from home so I can be around more than I am now." He said.

"What happened to the couple that it was built for?" She asked.

"I guess the husband's job transferred them to another state with little or no notice. You have to see it Kate. The backyard backs up to what is referred to as the commons area which consists of three stocked ponds, a walking track and four separate playground areas. We'd be able to put Larry, Curly and Mo in their strollers, go out the back gate and enjoy a nice walk." He told her.

"Larry, Curly and Mo?" She giggled.

"Huey, Dewey and Louie?" He replied with a grin.

"Do the people you work with get to enjoy how adorable you can be?" She asked as she dropped the package and the house paperwork onto the floor of the limo and climbed into his lap, pushing her dress up far enough to be able to straddle him.

"No, I save it all for you." He said with a smile as he placed his hands on her hips and pulled her closer.

"We've got a couple of hours to kill and I'm ready to start our honeymoon." She said seductively and began removing his tie and unbuttoning his shirt.

"Yeah, and what if the driver decides he wants some company and lowers that window?" Jack asked with a sexy grin as he gently moved his hands over her thighs.

"Who cares? I've wanted to do this since I saw "No Way Out". I'm Sean Young and you're Kevin Costner." She giggled and kissed him fully on the mouth.

"If I remember correctly, Sean Young met a rather violent death in that movie. How about we just be Jack and Kate and I'll do my best to satisfy your insatiable appetite since I apparently didn't do that this morning." He said as he reached behind her and began unzipping her dress.

"No, you did, but that was hours ago. Are you complaining Jack?" She teased.

"No, I'm glad that it's me you're so hungry for 24/7. Maybe I'll just keep you barefoot and pregnant for the next 20 years." He teased back.

"Oh trust me baby, once these three are born, you won't be getting anywhere near me until one of us has been snipped." She told him as she wiggled out of her dress.

He stopped pawing at her and took a moment to look at her perched in his lap wearing nothing but a bra and panties. She self-consciously placed a hand over her slightly extended tummy and he pulled it away gently.

"You're beautiful." He said softly, his eyes watery and the rest of him momentarily mesmerized by the sight of her.

He reached behind her and unfastened her bra, placing his fingers underneath the shoulder straps and watching as he slowly pushed it away from her body. He placed his hands gently on her breasts while his thumbs made feather-like passes over her hardening nipples. He moved forward and placed his lips on her neck, softly nibbling and feeling his pants growing uncomfortably tight as she moaned softly into his ear. He reached for his suit jacket in the seat beside them and draped it over her shoulders.

"I care if the limo driver sees you naked." He said sweetly, with just a hint of possessiveness.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her bottom up off of his lap so he could work her panties down, a task that frustrated him quickly and he ripped them from her body, tossing them to the floor and pulling her naked body closer to him. She pulled back, sitting as far back on his thighs as she could and began unfastening his belt while he quickly removed his shirt and t-shirt.

With his pants successfully unfastened, she went up onto her knees and kissed him while he lifted his hips and pushed his pants and his boxers down his hips and thighs and to his knees, where they eventually slipped down the rest of the way and pooled around his ankles. She could feel his hardness poking at her inner thigh as she continued to devour his mouth. He moved his hand between her legs and groaned at the moistness he was met with. She reached between them, took hold of him, put him into position and slowly slid down on top of him.

"Mmm, god Jack that feels so good." She panted as her wet, hungry mouth attached itself to the side of his neck.

He thrust up into her a few times and watched as she pulled her mouth away from his neck and looked into his eyes, slowly rotating over him and then leaning her forehead against his and continuing her slow, grinding rhythm.

"I love you…so much." He panted, taking hold of her face and kissing her passionately. Knowing she was his wife, that she was carrying their children, that she loved him with all her heart and wanted him constantly along with the feeling of being buried so deeply was making him want, or more accurately, need to take control and make hot, sweaty, passionate love to her until neither one of them had anything left to give.

He could feel her beginning to clinch around him and reached between them, rubbing her clit and pulling her over the edge and she filled the air around them with the sounds of ecstasy. Before she had a chance to recover completely he carefully laid her back on the seat and re-entered her, pushing in as deep as he could and holding his position for a moment.

"Make love to me baby and don't hold back." She whispered into his ear.

By the time the limo pulled up in front of the Bed and Breakfast, the happy couple were once again fully dressed and both looking as though they might slip into a coma at any second, their bodies satisfied and their brains ready to shut down and call it a night. Jack placed a handful of cash into the driver's hand and the driver tipped his hat and gave Jack a knowing grin.

"Noon on Monday sir?" The driver asked.

"Yeah, thanks." Jack mumbled tiredly, his mind too numb and his body too exhausted to consider punching the stupid grin off of the driver's face.

They checked in, passed on dinner and slowly climbed the stairs to their room. They both stripped down to their birthday suits and met in the center of the bed. She curled into his warm body and he wrapped a protective arm around her. He kissed the side of head softly and closed his eyes.

"Best sex ever." He mumbled.

"Best husband ever." She replied in a barely audible tone.

"I love you Mrs. Shephard." He said softly.

"Ditto." She breathed and both were out.


	27. Chapter 27

They awoke to the heavenly smells of breakfast foods being prepared and they both opened their eyes at the same time. She, sensing that he was awake, immediately lifted her head from his chest and looked at him.

"Good morning." He said happily.

"Please tell me you are as hungry as I am." She said, making him smile.

"I'm starving. Those little cakes we shared in the limo wore off hours ago. Want to throw some clothes on and go find the source of those wonderful smells?" He asked.

"Jack, I can't go down there like this. My hair is probably a mess and my make-up is probably all over my face." She argued.

"You look beautiful and look outside, it's gorgeous. Come on, just go with it Kate. Nobody cares what you look like." He said.

"At least let me brush my teeth and pull my hair back." She bargained and moved off the bed, slipping his shirt on, but not buttoning it.

He lay back and watched her move around the room, completely naked except for the open shirt, and wondered if he was really as hungry as he thought.

"Stop that." She warned.

"Stop what?" He asked innocently.

"Stop looking at me like you're a hungry lion and I'm a big, juicy, rare piece of meat." She told him, moving toward the bed and placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Okay, but after breakfast can we come back to the room and you'll promise to spend the rest of the day wearing nothing but my shirt?" He teased.

"I'll consider it and don't think that I don't want you right this minute because I do, I just want to eat more and I know if I get back into that bed with you it'll be hours and we'll miss breakfast." She told him and disappeared into the bathroom.

He moved off of the bed and followed her into the bathroom. She was standing in front of the sink and he moved in behind her, allowing his excitement to rub against her bottom. He pushed the shirt up over her hips and gently massaged her butt cheeks, hearing her moan right before she leaned back into him, the shirt, his shirt, wide open and exposing her breasts. He looked over her shoulder into the mirror and placed his hands over her breasts, massaging them gently.

She never spoke and never opened her eyes, content to let him do whatever he wanted and just enjoy every moment of it. She could feel him pressing against her. He'd obviously woken up horny and the sight of her walking around the room half-naked made him ready instantly. She felt his hand glide down her front and then slip between her legs, his fingers lightly penetrating and then gliding back up through her slick folds and over her sensitive nub. She was wet and ready for him and he groaned his approval into her ear right before he bent her over the sink and pushed inside of her, filling her completely.

"You're driving me crazy in that shirt." He growled into her ear, his breath as hot as the rest of his body.

He placed his hands on her hips and began moving, thrusting in hard and deep, holding it and then backing out slowly. She placed her hands on the counter, bracing herself against the forceful intrusion and making a mental note to walk around half-naked in one of his shirts more often.

They sat quietly, holding hands under the table and making polite eye contact with the other guests at the breakfast table. She could feel the delicate throbbing between her legs and smiled as she remembered how forcefully he'd taken her a few minutes ago and how loudly she'd screamed when he took her over the edge. Apparently none of the other guests had heard them or they were just being polite because they weren't receiving any strange or knowing looks from any of them. She squeezed his hand gently and smiled at him when he looked at her.

"You okay?" He asked softly.

"I'm great. You?" She asked.

"I think we're a bit under-dressed." He chuckled softly.

"I think they're all going to some wine tasting thing after breakfast." She replied.

"There's a wine tasting?" Jack asked the woman who managed the B&B.

"Yes, it starts in about an hour and lasts throughout the evening." She answered.

"Wow, that's a lot of tasting." Jack said.

"Well, it's more of wine tour. They'll be visiting several of the local wineries and shops and the day is capped off with a wine tasting party complete with dinner. Are you and your wife not going?" She asked.

"Do you want to go?" Jack asked Kate.

"No, I think having this entire place to ourselves for a day sounds much more enjoyable." She told him.

"I don't suppose wine tasting in your condition is wise. Is this your first child?" The woman asked.

"Actually, it's our 7th, 8th, and 9th." Kate answered getting the attention of everyone at the table.

"You have six children and you're pregnant with triplets?" One of the guests asked in a shocked tone.

"Yes, we have six children at home who are 4, 5, 7, 8, 11 and 12." Kate answered.

"Are you one of those religious families who don't believe in birth control?" Another guest asked making both Jack and Kate laugh.

"No, we each have three children from a previous marriage and these three were a bit of surprise. We're actually on our honeymoon." Jack told them.

"Nine kids. I think if anyone needs to spend the day drinking wine it's you." Another guest chimed in.

"Maybe once they get here, but I think for today we'll just stick to enjoying the scenery around here." Jack said, placing his arm around Kate and giving her a light squeeze.

"Look honey, we're the side show." She whispered in his ear and giggled, letting him know that the negative comments weren't bothering her.

"If you go out the back door, there's a path that leads to a lovely meadow and a pond. If you want I can pack a picnic basket for you later and you can take a blanket with you and really enjoy some solitude." The manager offered.

"That's sounds wonderful. Thank you." Kate accepted the offer.

They finished their breakfast and excused themselves, disappearing back into their room. They enjoyed a lengthy, hot sexless shower together, both still satisfied from their pre-breakfast sex and both still a little sleepy, the idea that they could just lie in bed and sleep if they wanted to so foreign to them that they were torn over taking advantage of that or getting outside and enjoying the day. Neither had dressed yet, and both were eyeing the bed with looks of longing in their eyes. He could tell she was as sleepy as he was.

"How about we snuggle up under the blankets, call the kids and then take a nap. We can do the picnic lunch when we wake up." He offered.

She didn't need to be convinced. They dropped their towels from their bodies, met in the middle of the bed and called Candice. After speaking to each child they turned the phone off, tossed it across the room and snuggled together under the blankets, falling asleep almost instantly.

They were awoken by loud, insistent knocking on the door. Jack moved off the bed, pulled his jeans on and opened the door.

"What is it?" He asked, not sure whether to be angry or scared.

"There's an emergency call for you sir." The woman said.

"Jack, what's wrong? Is it the kids?" Kate called from the bed.

"I don't know. I'll be right back." Jack said, grabbing his t-shirt from the chair by the door and pulling it over his head as he followed the manager out the door and down the stairs to her office.

She handed Jack the phone and he took a deep breath and spoke.

"This is Jack Shephard." He said.

"Jack, I'm so sorry. I don't know how they could've,,,,they were right there and now they're just gone." Candice cried hysterically into the phone.

"Candice, calm down. Who is gone?" Jack asked.

"The babies, Kendall and Tucker, they were playing in the back yard with the other kids and I can't find them. They're just gone Jack." She told him.

"They like to hide Candice. Have you looked in all the buildings and inside the house?" Jack asked as he swallowed the panic that was trying to take hold of him.

"We have looked everywhere Jack. The police are searching too. I'm so sorry Jack." She said sadly.

"Candice, whatever is happening, it's not your fault. Okay. Can you please believe that and try to stay calm for the children until we can get there." Jack pleaded with her.

"Okay, I'll try, just please hurry." She told him.

Jack handed the phone back to the manager and stood quietly for a moment, obviously in deep thought.

"Is every thing okay sir?" She asked.

"No, I need to get back to Los Angeles and I don't have a car. Is there a rental place close by?" Jack asked.

"It's Sunday sir, I doubt any of them are open today except the ones at the airport. Is there anything I can do?" She asked.

"Can you get one of your employees to drive me back to Los Angeles ? I'll pay, whatever the cost, it doesn't matter." He asked in a pleading tone.

"I can drive you sir. Go get your wife and I'll meet you out front." She said.

"Thank you." Jack said desperately as he turned around and bumped into Kate.

"What's going on Jack?" She asked.

"Kendall and Tucker are missing." He told her.

"What? What do you mean they're missing? From where?" She asked frantically.

"From Candice's backyard. I don't know anything more Kate. The police are looking." He said and then took hold of her arms as she stumbled backward away from him, away from the news she couldn't bear to hear.

"Kate, it's going to be okay. Let's get our things and…." Jack said, looking toward the manager, realizing he didn't know her name.

"Susan." The woman said.

"Susan is going to drive us back to Los Angeles and we'll find them. I know you're upset but we can't panic, not yet." He said trying desperately to keep her calm, knowing that this level of emotional stress would not be good for her or the babies.

"How can I not panic? Jack, they're so little. Where could they be?" Kate asked pulling away from him.

"Kate we need to try to stay calm. This isn't good for you or the babies." He insisted, trying once again to take hold of her, but finding that she was just out of his grasp.

"The babies are gone Jack." Kate told him.

"What?" He asked, not understanding what she was talking about.

"Come on Jack, you didn't really think you could pull this off did you? Nine kids? Really? They're gone Jack, just like Tucker and Kendall." She told him, no longer upset, but seeming to be taunting him.

"Kate, what's wrong with you?" He asked, confused by her behavior.

"Nothing's wrong with me, what's wrong with you?" She replied almost laughing at him.

"Kate, please, stop this." He pleaded with her.

"Stop what? Did you really think this fairy tale was going to play out? Did you really think you deserved a second chance at happiness? The babies are gone Jack and by the time you get home the rest of us will be gone too." She laughed and began backing away.

He was so confused. Nothing made sense. She had to be reacting to the news and didn't mean the things she was saying.

"Kate, wait, please don't go." He pleaded with her.

"I'm already gone Jack, we all are." She told him, suddenly right in front of him again, her abdomen covered in blood and blood running down her legs.

Jack's eyes opened suddenly. He sucked in the loud noise that would've been a combination of fear and relief that wanted to escape his throat and looked down. She was still sleeping peacefully in his arms. His mind was racing as he tried to fully awake while trying to recall the details of the bizarre dream he'd just had. He looked at the clock beside the bed and saw he'd been asleep for about an hour. He carefully lifted the comforter, the dream so real and the need to make sure, ridiculous, but necessary at the same time. She was fine, her body and her baby bump snuggled in close to him, safe and secure. She stirred and looked up at him sleepily

.

"What's wrong?" She mumbled.

"Nothing baby, I'm sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep." He said softly as he secured the comforter over them once again.

To his surprise he actually found sleep again rather quickly, his brain not fully awake after the weird dream and able to fade back out almost immediately. When he woke again a little over an hour later to the feeling of kisses along his neck and collarbone he opened his eyes and smiled at her for a moment before the dream came flooding back and startling him all over again.

"Want to get dressed and go find that meadow?" She asked.

"Sure." He agreed.

They made the journey to the meadow, found the pond and spread the blanket over an area close to the pond where the grass wasn't quite as tall as the area surrounding it. They sat down and looked around, noticing immediately that the taller vegetation around them hid them from anyone who might be watching, the large Bed and Breakfast no longer in sight.

"Look at us Jack, we're about to enjoy a quiet lunch in paradise. No kids spilling things or bickering back and forth, just us and this wonderful basket of food." She said happily, her hair pulled back and the sun catching her eyes and making them sparkle.

"Yeah." He said quietly, smiling at her and kissing her softly.

"What's wrong with you Jack? You've been quiet and almost distracted since we woke up." She asked.

"It's nothing." He lied.

"It's something and remember you aren't just lying to me, you're lying to your three unborn children." She told him, making him let go of an amused huff.

"Really, it's nothing. I just had this really strange dream and I guess it's got me feeling a little rattled." He said and reached into the picnic basket for a sandwich, handing it to her and grabbing one for himself.

"Yeah, dreams can do that, especially the ones that seem so real you actually feel relieved when you realize it was just a dream. Tell me about it. You'll feel better if you talk about it." She said and placed a gentle hand on the side of his face.

"Are you happy Kate? I mean really happy?" He asked.

"Of course and I'm about to be even happier. Did you see those caramel brownie things she packed in our lunch?" She teased.

"I'm serious Kate." He said.

"I know you are and so am I. Jack, I'm happy. I have this brand new wonderful husband that I love more than I can ever hope to express, I've got six beautiful children and I'm carrying the children we made together. What more could a woman want from life?" She asked.

"It's a lot of children Kate. I don't know. Maybe people are right, maybe we are insane for having so many kids. You'll tell me if it ever becomes too much won't you?" He asked.

"Jack, tell me about the dream." She coaxed.

He told her about the dream and watched her face and her eyes to see if she'd be horrified or repulsed that his subconscious went there, but she wasn't. He saw love and understanding and that was about it.

"Jack, are you happy, really happy?" She asked.

"Yes, almost like it's too good to be true happy." He answered.

"Yeah, I definitely understand that feeling." She said.

"I'm sorry Kate. It was an awful thing to dream. I don't know why my mind went there." He said.

"You don't have to apologize for dreams Jack and I think both of us have had enough psychology classes to know exactly why your mind went there. You always have and you probably always will blame yourself for what happened with Jennifer. On some level you believe you don't deserve this new found happiness and on another level you're terrified of losing it. I understand that Jack because I feel it too sometimes, well not the guilt, but the other. I mean do I deserve to have this great guy come into my life and not only lighten the incredibly heavy load I've been carrying, but make me feel more loved and happier than I've ever been in my life?" She asked.

"You deserve all of that and more." He told her.

"So do you and it makes sense that on some level we're afraid of losing what we have, but Jack, I'm not going anywhere and neither are the kids, are you?" She asked.

"No, you're not getting rid of me. Can we agree on something today though and promise each other we'll stick to it?" He asked.

"What?" She asked.

"We both agree that nine children is going to be difficult and at times maddening and that we have to take a break from it and that we'll both be honest when we feel like we need a break from it." He said.

"Agreed." She said and smiled at him.

"You'll also tell me if it's too much. I have to go back to work eventually and it's a lot to handle alone Kate. If it's too much we can hire outside help and I don't necessarily mean a nanny, but just an all around helper, whether that be with the kids or the house or running errands. Someone who can step in and do whatever it is you need them to do. Maybe a college kid who's looking to earn some extra money or if need be a college kid who needs a place to live along with some cash in exchange for helping out around the house." He suggested.

"So we'll have 10 kids to deal with instead of 9?" She asked in a teasing fashion.

"Well, we'd need to find a responsible college kid. They still make those don't they?" He asked with a grin.

"Okay Jack, I promise I will ask for help if it becomes too much and having a college kid around is a good idea. They have way more energy than us old folks." She said.

"Hey, we're not old. We're seasoned." He laughed lightly.

She took a bite of her sandwich and then leaned back, tilting her head back while she chewed, allowing the sun to spread it's warmth over her face. She felt his hand on her stomach and looked down.

"I'm getting pretty big huh?" She said.

"No, not really considering you're already 16 weeks into this. Four more weeks and we can meet them." He said with a smile.

"I hope at least one of them is a boy. I can tell how badly you want a son." She said.

"I have three sons already. I just want them to be healthy Kate." He said.

"I know, but come on Jack, admit it, you want a natural son. It's okay to say that. I won't be mad." She pushed.

"Only if you'll admit that you want a daughter, one that you get nurture from day one and buy all those girl things for." He pushed back.

"Yeah, that'd be fun and yes, I would like for at least one of these little munchkins to be a girl." She told him.

"I hope so too, and yes, I would like for at least one of them to be a boy." He said.

"I hope it's a mixed batch. I of course want them to be healthy first and foremost, but having three more of either sex would seriously tip the scales at the house." She said.

"I guess we'll find out in four weeks whether we need a pink, blue or neutral colored nursery." He said.

"Jack, are you sure I'm going to be able to carry three babies. I don't see how it's possible." She sighed.

"No, I'm not a hundred percent sure. There's no such thing. I feel confident that'll you and the babies will be fine though. You'd be surprised at what you can carry in there and it's not like they're going to be 9 pound bruisers. They'll be smaller than what you're used to delivering and I promise you can have a nice, sterile surgical procedure so there will be none of that being ripped in half nonsense happening to you this time." He told her, taking the sandwich from her hand and laying her back onto the blanket.

"I know it's scary, so let's try to focus on the fun stuff like names and nursery patterns and all the back rubs you want. Okay?" He said and kissed her softly.

"Can we wait until they're born and they're safe before we name them?" She asked.

"Of course, whatever you want. You know we could also be focusing on moving into a new house and you getting to decorate it any way you want. That should keep your mind plenty occupied. There must be 40 windows in that place." He said.

"Yeah and we could also be focusing on lots of sex, that always keeps my mind occupied." She purred and pulled him in for an all consuming kiss.

He followed her down onto the blanket, allowing her to pull him into a passionate kiss that was no doubt leading to something more. He felt her hands fumbling with his belt and pulled out of the kiss, smiling down at her.

"Here?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Mmm, is there anything more romantic than making love in the tall grass beside a beautiful pond?" She answered and pulled him back in for another kiss.

He pulled back once more, pushed himself up on his arms and stood. He looked over the tall grass, the B&B nowhere in sight and then back down at her. He pulled his shirt up and over his head, tossing it to the ground behind them and then moved to his belt. She was eyeing him like he was a large glass of cold water and she was dying of thirst as he slowly unfastened his belt and the button on his jeans.

"Now who's eyeing someone like they're a hungry lion?" He chuckled lightly.

"You should see the show I'm enjoying. Go ahead baby, take them off and if I like what I see I'll let you take mine off." She told him

.

"And if you don't like what you see?" He asked.

"Like that's going to happen." She said with a light laugh.

He slowly slid the zipper to his jeans down and began pulling them slowly down his hips. He wasn't wearing any underwear and just the kissing and the little bit of naughty banter between them had him semi-erect. He stepped out of his jeans and lay down beside her again, the warm sun on his nude body enhancing his excitement. He felt her hand take hold of him and closed his eyes. She coaxed him onto his back and moved over the top of him, releasing the hold she had on him and moving her hands over his chest. He slowly unbuttoned the short-sleeved blouse she was wearing and pushed it backwards down her arms. With the shirt out of his way he reached behind her and unhooked her bra, sliding the straps forward down her arms and watching as her ample bosom slowly came into view. He sat up with her in his lap and slowly lowered his mouth to one breast and then the other, her light moans making him moan against her breasts. He carefully laid back down, taking her with him and began to slowly work her shorts off of her, taking her panties with them. With the task complete and her attempting to eat his face, he moved his hand over her bare bottom and down between her legs, the warm moisture there greeting him immediately and making his heart begin to race.

"Mmm...so wet." He moaned in-between the wet, passionate kisses.

"I'm always wet for you. I wake up wet for you every single day." She panted and continued with the hungry, frenzied kissing.

She began to grind her hips into his and he decided he really couldn't take much more of that so he quickly changed their position, pinning her arms and hands above her head as he hovered over her. She opened up for him and he groaned at the sight. She was glistening wet, her skin flushed and her eyes pleading with him to take her. He let go of her hands and began kissing his way down her body, quickly landing between her legs and planting himself there, licking and sucking gently and thoroughly. She grabbed his handed and moved it to her opening, his queue that she needed more. He slowly pushed a finger into her.

"Oh fuck!" She squealed as her hips came up off the blanket.

"Easy babe." He mumbled before his mouth went back to pleasing her in the way that only he could.

He began moving his finger in and out of her while his mouth and tongue worked over her clit bringing her to an explosive orgasm quickly. He moved his head from between her legs, wiped his face on the blanket and slowly slithered his way back up over her body, placing himself at her entrance and pushing in fully, holding his position and kissing her passionately.

"I love you and I love how much you absolutely without fail trip every single one of my triggers." He told her, closing his mouth over hers again and beginning his thrusts.

He started out slow and deep, speeding up occasionally and then slowing back down again, making love to her as fully and deeply as he could and when she climaxed for the third time he let go of his own and grunted and groaned as the force of it blinded him momentarily. He finally collapsed forward onto her, supporting the majority of his weight on his folded arms, staying inside of her and letting his head rest next to hers. She cradled his head gently and kissed his temple. They lay like that for a few minutes, the sweat that was covering his body beginning to dry in the breeze and her ready to doze off feeling safe and secure trapped beneath him. She felt him slip out of her and a moment after that he jumped as though he'd been startled or as if something hot had touched him.

"Ouch." He groaned and rolled off of her.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I think a bee just happened?" He said and struggled to get a good look at his backside.

"You got stung on the ass?" She asked unable to contain her giggles.

"What would I do without your loving support in these situations Kate? Can you see it?" He grumbled and continued to strain to see.

"I'm sorry babe, I wasn't laughing at you, I was laughing with you. Roll onto your stomach and let me see." She said as she sat up.

"You'll notice I'm not laughing Kate." He mumbled and rolled onto his stomach.

"Oh yeah, the stinger is still in. Want me to try to pull it out with my fingers?" She asked.

"Just grab a credit card out of my wallet and scrape it off and if you could hurry I'd appreciate it, the damn thing hurts." He said.

"I bet it does, it's pretty big." She said as she reached for his pants and his wallet.

Thirty seconds later she was scraping his Visa across his butt and doing her best not to laugh, but even he had to agree this was going to be a honeymoon story that would draw many a deep belly laugh every time they shared it with someone. With the stinger successfully removed and lying on top of the credit card, she moved back to the side so he could roll over and inspect it himself.

"I hope planting that in my big ass was worth dying for you stupid little fucker." Jack hissed at the dead bee on the blanket as he flicked it away with his fingers.

"If I were a female honey bee, I'd definitely die to sting that gorgeous ass of yours. What a way to go!" She teased gleefully and then fell back onto the blanket laughing.

He shook his head and dropped onto his back, staring up at the blue sky, neither seeming to care that they were lying in the middle of a field completely naked. She finally got her laughter under control and snaked her way over the top of him, getting comfortable and kissing him gently on the lips.

"The sex was incredible Jack. I'm really glad that bee waited until we were done to sting you because that was definitely too good to be interrupted." She told him, her tone sincere.

"I'm just glad it was my ass instead of yours, although kissing it and making it better would've been fun." He said with a slight grin.

"Awww...do you want me to kiss it and make it better?" She asked.

"No, if you're mouth is going to be busy below my waist, I can think of much more exciting uses for it." He teased.

"I bet you can. You ever had a blow job in a meadow before Jack?" She asked seductively.

"No, and I can't have one now. Really Kate, I can't. You'll kill me and while that would certainly be a great way to go, I think I'd rather stick around and enjoy you for the next 50 years or so." He said, the last part so sweet she felt a slight flutter in her stomach.

"You're so sweet. Now I feel bad for laughing over your bee sting." She said.

"It's okay. I probably would've laughed too. I do have one very important question though." He said.

"What's that?" She asked.

"If you wake up every day wet for me and I wake up every day hard for you, why aren't we having sex every morning?" He asked in a light-hearted tone.

"Oh, I can think of about six reasons why that's not happening." She answered and smiled at him.

"I think we need to rectify that situation, set the alarm 30 minutes earlier or something." He said.

"I can go for 15 minutes earlier, but not 30. Sleep's too precious when you have so many kids." She said.

"We could knock off a quick one in 15 minutes. Maybe if you get some in the morning you won't try to kill me every night." He teased.

"Are you complaining because I could be one of those wives with a nightly headache if you'd like." She teased back.

He sat up rolled her onto her back and kissed her deeply.

"As long as you are in my life I have no complaints. Your voracious appetite for sex is just a bonus. When that wears off, and we both know it will especially when you get into the later months of this pregnancy, I'm still going to love you and cherish every moment we have together." He told her, his eyes watery and so sincere she felt a lump form in her throat as her own eyes became watery.

"I love you too babe, so much." She said, placing a soft, caring hand on the side of his face and kissing him.

"Hey, there's a massage therapist on site. Want to get massages?" He asked.

"No, I don't want anyone but you seeing me naked. How about we go back to our room and enjoy the hot tub that's on the balcony for a bit. Then we can make love, take another nap, wake up, dress for dinner and enjoy an after dinner glass of wine on the swing on the front porch." She suggested making him laugh.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"Nothing, you just seem to have it all planned out. Did you have a specific sex act or position planned as well?" He teased.

"I'm sorry. I've never had a honeymoon or a vacation before. I have all these silly ideas of how to make each and every hour of it perfect. What would you like to do?" She asked, making him feel bad for teasing her.

"I'm sorry Kate. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I want to do whatever you want to do and everything you mentioned sounds pretty wonderful." He said and kissed her gently.

"Oh yeah, which part sounds the most wonderful?" She asked.

"The nap of course." He teased.

"You're kind of rotten Jack Shephard, but that's okay because when I get done rocking your world, napping is all you're going to want to do the rest of the weekend and you'll be too exhausted to conjure up anymore bad dreams." She told him and nibbled gently on his bottom lip.

"Mmm….sounds good. We should get dressed before another honey bee has her way with me." He said.

"Ohh, is that my new nickname? Honeybee?" She said and began kissing her way down his chest, stopping when she got to his belly and glancing up at him with a sexy smile on her face.

"If I don't survive this, don't say I didn't warn you." He said with a grin before letting his head fall back onto the blanket, feeling her mouth and tongue begin to envelop him and closing his eyes.


	28. Chapter 28

A week after they returned from their honeymoon, they packed up the kids and took a tour of the house Jack had found for them. Two days later Jack and Kate signed all the paperwork and hoped to be moving into their home in a few weeks. It had been almost a month since the wedding and Carly was enjoying her one on one time with Kate, but was also missing the social environment of school so as soon as the loan on the new home had been approved and they were sure they were going to move, they enrolled Carly in the public school she and the other children would be attending after they moved. With spring break just around the corner and only nine weeks of school left after that, the other children were given the option of starting with Carly or finishing up at their current schools and waiting until the following fall to start at the new one and they were all currently sitting around the dining room table voicing their opinions on the matter.

"Do I get to ride the big yellow school bus to the new school?" Simon asked.

"Yes, you can ride the bus to school." Kate answered.

"But you'll still drive us if we want you to?" Kenny asked.

"For now she can, but next year all of you will be riding the bus. There's no way she can chauffer six kids around with three little babies." Jack clarified.

"Why can't you drive us?" Kenny asked, his tone a bit hateful.

"Some mornings I probably could, but most mornings I'll be up and gone before you get out of bed." Jack answered.

"Probably because you're never going to be around." Kenny huffed.

"Kenny, this will be so cool. You'll be at the middle school with me next year. That means no little kids on our bus." Carly jumped in attempting to save her new brother before his mouth got him into trouble.

"I want to stay at my old school for the rest of this year." Kenny sighed.

"I'm never leaving my school." Jordan said.

Kate and Jack both looked at each other and decided they'd tackle the Jordan issue over the summer, not on this evening.

"What about you Tuck? Where do you want to go to school?" Kate asked.

"I go to school with bubba!" Tucker said happily.

"Okay, that's Carly starting at the new school next week, two boys staying at the old school, Simon possibly transferring for the big yellow school bus, and Jordan hanging on for dear life. That just leaves you Kendall . Do you want to stay at your school for now or go to a new kindergarten?" Jack asked.

"I don't care. I just want juice and snacks after quiet time." Kendall answered making both Jack and Kate laugh lightly.

"Have I told you lately how much I love that kid?" Kate whispered.

"Are we done?" Kenny grumbled.

"Do you have somewhere you need to be?" Kate asked.

"Would it matter if I did?" He mumbled.

"Did you have a bad day at school sweetheart?" Kate asked.

"He didn't go to school." Simon offered.

"Shut up Simon!" Kenny spat angrily.

"What's he talking about Kenny?" Kate asked.

"I don't know mom. He's just being a stupid little kid as usual." Kenny said and stared angrily at his younger brother.

"But you said fifth graders didn't have school today and I'm not stupid. I'm the smartest kid in the whole second grade." Simon argued.

"Oh wow, now there's something to brag about. Only a real dummy would believe the whole fifth grade didn't have school today." Kenny said hatefully.

"Why are you so mad at me?" Simon asked with a quivering lip, clearly hurt by his brother's behavior.

"Geez, now you're going to cry? Better get the inhaler ready for the big crybaby, but you like that don't you because if you're sick you get all of Jack's attention." Kenny continued on with his unwarranted attack against his brother.

"Kenny that's enough! Apologize to your brother now!" Kate demanded.

"You apologize to him." Kenny countered.

Kate rose from her chair, walked over to Kenny, took hold of his arm and attempted to pull him up out of his chair. He pulled away from her and shrugged her off.

"Move it mister! Now!" Kate ordered and pointed toward the back of the house.

"Make me." He shot back defiantly.

Kate sighed heavily, crossed her arms over her chest and looked up toward the ceiling, obviously trying to not let her son's behavior get the best of her, but not really succeeding.

"Do you want me to make you because I will? I'll carry you if I have to." Jack said sternly.

"Carly, can you..?" Kate asked on the verge of tears.

"Come on you guys, it's time for baths." Carly said and began rounding up all the younger children and leading them out of the dining room.

Jack took hold of Kate's arms and looked into her eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's just the hormones and well, the fact that I don't recognize my son anymore." She said and quickly wiped away the one tear that managed to escape.

They both sat down, one on either side of Kenny.

"What's going on with you Kenny?" Jack asked.

"Nothing. Can I go to my room now?" He asked.

"No, you can't. Did you really skip school today?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, so what." He mumbled.

"How did you manage to do that?" Kate asked.

"It was easy. Jack was busy on his cell phone and only paying attention to Simon and Tucker and I just walked away. Didn't even notice did you Jack?" Kenny asked with an edge of sarcasm.

"I did notice. I assumed you were walking to your classroom like you always do. Where did you go?" Jack asked.

"I went down the hall and out the back door. I spent the day in the woods behind the school with a couple of other guys." Kenny told them.

"What other guys?" Kate asked.

"Just some guys. You don't know them. They go to the middle school." Kenny said.

"Why didn't the school call me when you didn't show up?" Kate asked.

"There was a girl with us. She called and said she was you and told them I was sick." Kenny explained, not the least bit sorry or even scared there might be repercussions.

"How old were these kids Kenny?" Kate asked.

"They're about 14. They're pretty cool. They taught me how to smoke a cigarette." Kenny bragged.

Jack could see how upset she was becoming and placed his hand over hers.

"Kenny go wait for us in the formal living room. We need to talk." Jack said.

"I hate that room. I'll wait in my bedroom." Kenny huffed.

"You'll wait where I told you to wait." Jack shot back harshly. So harsh it got all of Kenny's attention and he quietly and compliantly walked out of the room and into the formal living room to wait for them.

"He's cutting school and smoking." Kate said sadly.

"Baby, it's not the end of the world. He's testing us, or more specifically me. Apparently I'm not giving him enough attention. I do think we need to discuss pulling him out of that school and getting him away from those influences sooner rather than later though." Jack said.

"He's already so angry Jack. If we take him away from all of his friends he's going to hate us." Kate argued.

"Yes, he will, but Kate, he's hanging around with delinquent teenagers and we've both seen enough to know that can lead to nothing but bad things. How do kids that age even have access to kids Kenny's age?" Jack said in a frustrated tone.

"I know you're thinking it, so go ahead and say it." Kate said.

"Say what?" He asked.

"That my boys go to a shitty school because their mother couldn't afford to live in anything but a shitty neighborhood." She accused.

"Are we seriously going back to this Kate? It's not the best school out there, but it's not the worst either and it's the school that was in district you lived in, but that's the not case anymore. I think we should go ahead and transfer all of them." Jack said.

"We can't do that to Jordan, but you're right, we need to get Kenny away from those influences." Kate said.

"It's a temporary fix. Bad influences are everywhere." Jack said.

"Then what's the point?" Kate asked.

"It buys us some time to make him feel more settled at home and buys me some time to try to make him feel a little less left out then he's apparently feeling at the moment." Jack said.

"Jack, this isn't your fault. You don't favor the younger boys over him." Kate said.

"Maybe not, but maybe he needs more of my attention right now than they do. I mean, he sees all the time Carly is getting with you and maybe he feels like he should be getting the same from me. Maybe we should include him tomorrow. They're both used to being the oldest child and now Kenny has sort of lost his place." Jack offered.

"Do you really think an eleven year old boy wants to come watch a sonogram?" Kate asked.

"Probably not, but he probably would love to be included. They're the oldest and they get a lot of responsibility placed on them and the trade off for that should be that they also get to be included in moments where it's just you and Carly and me and him." Jack reasoned.

"Okay, but should we really be rewarding him for skipping school?" Kate asked.

"No. He's going to be suspended from school when they find out what he did and he should be. He can spend the next few days with me. I can find some odd chores for him around the office and I promised Candice I'd move some things for her this weekend so he can help me with that. He'll be so sick of working and not getting to play that he'll be begging us to let him to go to school anywhere by the time Monday rolls around." Jack said.

"He's supposed to be going to the hockey game with the Hoopers this weekend. We can't let him go Jack. He's going to be crushed, because he's never been before and was really looking forward to it, but what he did is very bad and we have to let him know there are consequences and I don't think having to spend his days with you is going to be something he feels is punishment." Kate said.

"I promise to make him work really hard." Jack said and smiled at her.

"You're a bigger softie than I am. No hockey game. Do we agree?" She asked.

"Can I take him another time? I mean weeks from now after he's learned his lesson?" Jack asked.

"Only if you promise not to tell him you plan to do that." Kate said and smiled at him as she stood.

"Oh, so I guess I'm the one that's going to do the punishing?" He asked and pulled her into his lap.

"He's screaming for your attention so he's all yours baby. I need to help Carly corral the kids." She said and kissed him fully.

"Mmm….what was that for?" He asked.

"Just reminding you that Kenny isn't the only one screaming for your attention." She teased.

"I like it when you scream." He teased back.

"I love you." She said and kissed him once more.

"I love you too. Now go, help Carly and I'll deal the little delinquent." He said and scooted her off of his lap.

Jack entered the room and watched as Kenny turned away from him and went to stand in front of the window as though he could see anything outside in the darkness.

"Come sit down." Jack said as he himself sat on the couch.

Kenny sauntered over slowly and threw himself down onto the cushion, laying back and propping his feet up on the coffee table, refusing to look at Jack.

"You are certainly put out with the world these days aren't you?" Jack asked.

"What does that mean?" Kenny asked.

"It means you're mad at everyone. Want to tell me why?" Jack asked.

"You're no different than him you know." Kenny said.

"No different than whom?" Jack asked.

"My dad. He was just like you. He just made my mom pregnant all the time and spent all his time at work. He never did anything with me. I bet you have girlfriends too." Kenny accused.

"How do you know about that?" Jack asked.

"I read about it on the internet." Kenny shrugged.

"I really wish that wouldn't have done that Kenny. I guess your new buddies helped you find that information?" Jack asked.

"Yeah Derek helped me look stuff up. He thinks it's cool that my dad killed somebody." Kenny admitted, his tone so emotionless it startled Jack.

"Derek sounds like a real piece of work." Jack huffed.

"At least he doesn't lie to me!" Kenny shouted at him, suddenly full of emotion.

"We didn't lie to you Kenny. We were trying to protect you. There's so much about what your father did that is too complicated for an eleven year old boy to understand, but I can promise you that I am nothing like him. I love your mom very much and I would never hurt her. I certainly wouldn't have girlfriends, especially ones that young and I do have a very demanding job, but I also make time for all of you." Jack said.

"Whatever Jack. Am I grounded?" Kenny asked.

"Not so much grounded as too busy to do anything fun for awhile. We're going to go talk with your principal in the morning and you're going to tell him what you did and give him the names of the kids you were hanging out with." Jack said.

"No I'm not telling their names and there's nothing you can do that will make me tell." Kenny said.

"Fine, I get it. I probably wouldn't have shared that kind of information when I was your age either. I'm sure the school probably knows who they are anyway. You'll be suspended for a few days so you're going to come to work with me." Jack told him.

"Why can't I just stay home with mom?" Kenny asked.

"Because staying home nagging your mother and playing video games isn't much of a hardship now is it? Saturday you're going to help me organize Candice's garage and you'll have a bedtime of eight o'clock for the next week." Jack remained firm.

"But what about the hockey game? You guys promised I could go." Kenny asked, upset and looking at Jack for the first time since he'd entered the room.

"We didn't promise anything, we gave you permission and that permission is now being revoked because apparently you think it's okay to skip school and smoke cigarettes, not to mention the whole being on the internet unsupervised thing." Jack said.

"No Jack please don't make me miss it. I'll say I'm sorry and I'll do whatever chores you make me do and won't complain. I have to go to the hockey game. Teran's dad knows one of the coaches and is going to take us into the locker room before the game. Please Jack." Kenny begged as his eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, not this time." Jack did his best to hold firm, the child's face and eyes making the task nearly impossible.

"No! I have to go! I'm so stupid! Why am I so stupid?" Kenny shouted, becoming almost hysterical as the tears streamed down his face and he began hitting himself in the head with his fists as he chanted over and over about how stupid he was.

Jack took hold of Kenny's wrists and held tightly so he couldn't hit himself anymore.

"Daddy, what's wrong with Kenny?" Jordan asked.

Jack looked up and saw Kate standing in the doorway with three of the children. Kate abandoned the three children at the doorway and made her way over to the couch where Jack and Kenny were struggling.

"Let go of him! What did you do?" Kate accused angrily and pulled her sobbing, hysterical son into her arms.

"Jordan honey, he's okay he's just really upset right now. Can you take Tucker and Kendall into the family room while your mom and I help him feel better?" Jack asked as he quickly checked his hurt feelings at the door and remained calm...for the moment.

"I didn't do anything Kate." Jack said calmly as he watched her coddle the child.

"He's never been this upset before so you must've done something." She said in a low shriek the look of distrust in her eyes and on her face more than he could bear to look at.

"Do you really think I'd do something to hurt him Kate?" Jack asked.

"I...I...What happened Jack?" She cried the hurt in his eyes and all over his face making her realize she'd just screwed up badly.

"Why did you agree to marry me Kate?" He asked.

"What? Jack I'm sorry, I just..." She struggled for words.

"No Kate, I'm sick of the apologies. If you don't trust me and if you really didn't want me to be a father to your sons, why did you marry me?" He asked.

"I do trust you Jack. I just..." She continued to struggle.

"You just what? You just thought I'd done something to physically or emotionally harm a little boy? What in the hell would even make your mind go there? No, don't answer that. I'm sure it's the same old bullshit. David was a manipulative, womanizing son-of-a-bitch so therefore all men must be." Jack said, his tone sad and resigned and quiet, hoping to keep Kenny from hearing what he was saying to her.

"Jack." She said.

"No, not now. Just...just, take care of Kenny. I can't do this with you right now. I'm going to go get the kids ready for bed." He said and stood to leave the room.

She reached out and took hold of his hand.

"Jack, please don't walk away." Kate pleaded.

"I'm not walking away. I'm leaving the room. Oh, and for what it's worth, which apparently isn't much, he's very distraught emotionally, confused and angry. He needs to be allowed to ask questions and get honest answers regardless of how difficult it may be to answer those questions. He also needs to be allowed to go to that hockey game on Saturday." Jack said, pulling his hand away from her and walking away.

"Mom, I'm really sick." Kenny groaned and ran for the bathroom.

Kate followed Kenny into the bathroom, waited until he was finished, applied a cool cloth to his face and forehead and walked him into his bedroom. He lay on his bed with the cool cloth on his head and settled down.

"Mom, is Jack mad at us?" Kenny asked.

"No, he's mad at me and he has every right to be." Kate sighed.

"Why? What did you do?" Kenny asked.

"I accused him of doing something to hurt you and that's really bad because he would never hurt you baby. You know that don't you?" Kate asked.

"Did my dad hurt me?" Kenny asked.

"No, not physically, but he's hurt you in so many other ways, ways that I never wanted him to." Kate said sadly.

"Is Jack mad enough to leave us?" Kenny asked.

"Kenny, he's not going anywhere. He and I have some things to work out, but he's not the kind of man that runs when things get tough. He loves you a lot you know and no matter how mad he may be get with me, he's never going to stop loving you or wanting to be a part of your life." Kate explained.

"My head hurts really bad. Can I go to sleep now?" Kenny asked.

"Yes, but after the sonogram tomorrow we're going to sit down and talk about your dad. Okay?" Kate said.

"Is Jack going to the sonogram? He said he was taking me to see the principal." Kenny said.

"We're both going with you to see the principal and then we'll swing back by and pick up Carly and go see what kind of babies are inside my tummy." Kate said.

"I get to go with you to see the babies?" Kenny asked.

"Jack thought you should be included and I think he's right. What do you think? Do you want to see what they look like inside my stomach?" Kate asked.

"Can they see me?" Kenny asked.

"No, but they can hear you. If you ever feel like you want to say something to them, just put your mouth close to my belly and say whatever you want to say." Kate said.

"That's dumb mom." Kenny said with a light laugh.

"It is not dumb. I used to talk to you every day when you were in the womb and Jack talks to them all the time. It's never too soon to let a baby know how much it's loved and wanted." Kate told him.

"My dad never talked your stomach did he?" Kenny asked.

"You know son, who your dad is or was has nothing to do with you or with Jack. You aren't going to be like him just because he's your father and Jack isn't like him just because he's a man." Kate explained.

"Then how come Jack said you didn't trust him because of David?" Kenny asked.

"Because I messed up and assumed he did something bad because of the way your father was for so many years. I was wrong Kenny. Jack is nothing like your dad and you are nothing like your dad and I think that both of us need to try really hard to remember that. All of us, we can be whatever we choose to be and you are such a terrific son and brother that I have no doubt you're going to be a really good, loving, wonderful man some day." Kate said.

"I'm really tired mom. I don't want to talk anymore." Kenny said.

"Okay baby. Goodnight. I love you." Kate said, kissing him on the cheek and leaving the bedroom.

Kate passed Jack in the hallway with the two boys in tow. Since they'd returned from their honeymoon, the routine had been that he tucked the boys in and she tucked the girls in, the kids wanting their new parent to have the honors.

"The girls are waiting for you in their bedroom." He said softly

.

"You tucked them in already?" She asked.

"No, they wanted you. I told them I'd be in to kiss them goodnight after you're done with their story." He said and moved past her.

Jack put the two boys to bed and read them a story. He attempted to tell Kenny goodnight, but the child rolled onto his side and ignored him. He left the boy's room and headed for the girl's room, passing Kate in the hallway again and still so angry with her that it took everything he had to remain civil. He kissed the girls goodnight and made his way to the other end of the house to their bedroom. He entered the bedroom and she was sitting on the bed waiting for him.

"Can we talk?" She asked.

"I'm going to take a shower." He stated flatly and began walking toward the bathroom, pulling his shirt off along the way.

She followed him into the large walk-in closet off the bathroom and watched him continue to strip down.

"Want some company?" She asked.

"Not really." He said as he slipped out of his boxers and walked past her and out of the closet.

She watched him reach inside the glass enclosure and start the water, his nude body on display and his lack of interest in her clearly evident. She left the bathroom and the bedroom, deciding that she'd give him some space and straighten up the house before she retired for the evening. When she returned to the bedroom he was in bed and watching television. She took a quick shower and slipped into the bed beside him.

"Are we going to talk or are we going to stew?" Kate asked.

"Neither. I've got patients to see in the morning before I deal with school principals and sonograms so I'm going to sleep." He said and handed her the remote.

"How long are you going to stay mad at me?" She asked.

"We aren't children Kate and this isn't a game so it's not about me staying mad or not staying mad at you. You seriously thought I had hurt Kenny tonight and if you can't see that we've got a real problem, one that can't be solved by you offering another empty apology and more empty promises to do better, then we probably aren't going to make it. You need to figure out what you want Kate and you need to figure out a way to trust me." He said.

"I do trust you Jack." She insisted.

"No you don't Kate. If you did, you wouldn't have had that look on your face earlier. You would've known, no believed somewhere deep down inside that I could never hurt any of these children." He argued.

"Jack, I let you cut into my son's throat in the middle of a restaurant. That's not trust?" She asked.

"No, that's you trusting my medical skills and being desperate enough for your son to allow me do it. I know David did some damage Kate, but I'm done paying for what he did to you and your kids. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help you get past it, but I'm not going to sit back any longer and pretend that you're okay with me and us and this life we've put together because obviously you're not." Jack said.

"God Jack, I'm sorry. Can't a mother just over-react? Does it have to be tied to some deep-seeded trauma? I know you would never hurt the kids. I know that. I just saw how upset he was and how you were manhandling him and I freaked." She said desperately.

"If you truly believed in your heart that I would never hurt you or the children you wouldn't have freaked Kate. Can't you see that?" He asked.

"What do you want me to do Jack?" She asked.

"I just want you to admit I'm right. Just be honest." He said.

"Okay, you're right. I'm damaged goods Jack and no matter how much I love you, I can't let go of that fear that I'm missing something with you and that some day you're going to be just like him. Are you happy now?" She asked and angrily wiped away the tear that escaped down her cheek.

"No, I'm not happy Kate, but at least it's a start." He said.

"What about you?" She asked.

"What about me?" He asked.

"You and your freaky dreams about the children disappearing and me leaving; don't you think that speaks to some level of emotional instability that you need to deal with?" She asked.

"I do deal with it Kate. I admit that what Jennifer did has left me somewhat unstable. I don't keep making empty promises about how it's all about me and how I'll try to be better. I admit I worry about losing it all and that I worry that you'll get overwhelmed. You don't admit anything Kate. You just keep pretending you've buried David in your past and that everything is hunky dory when clearly it's not." He stressed, trying not to get frustrated with her.

"Okay so since you're the expert on what haunts me, how about you tell me what I should do." She said sarcastically.

"See that's it right there. Rather than admit there are issues, you jump straight into sarcasm. God damn Kate, just be honest and admit that you are not completely comfortable with me being a father to your sons because you don't completely trust that I won't hurt them or you!" Jack finally blew up at her, unable to hold back the hurt and anger any longer.

"Maybe you just don't want to be their father anymore because things have gotten difficult." Kate accused.

He looked at her for a moment and shook his head.

"Goodnight Kate." He said as he lowered his body down to a sleeping position, put his head on the pillow and turned onto his side.


	29. Chapter 29

He sat on the side of the bed, leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek. She stirred and rolled flat onto her back as she slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times as she fought to fully wake up, the light from the bathroom providing enough light for both of them to see.

"What time is it?" Kate asked.

"It's 5:30. I'm going to go check on my patients, but I'll be home in time to drive the kids to school. I thought you might want an hour of peace before they start waking up. There's fresh coffee." He answered.

"I bet it's not real coffee. It's that evil decaffeinated stuff. What's the point?" She grumbled forcing a slight smile onto his face.

"I guess the point is to trick your brain into thinking it's getting the real thing." He said softly and leaned in to kiss her gently on the lips.

"Do you want to talk?" She asked.

"We don't have to. I just didn't want you to wake up and find me gone and think I'm mad at you." He said.

"But you are mad at me." She said.

"No Kate, I'm not and I don't want to be. I don't want to fight with you and I don't want you upset while you're trying to carry three babies. I just want you to admit that you are still having some trust issues where I'm concerned. I wish you didn't, but I'd rather you be honest about it and we deal with it honestly than have incidents like last night." He said.

She sat up and scooted back until her back was leaning against the headboard.

"Jack if I'm having trust issues it is purely on a subconscious level because I do trust you. I never would've sent you in alone to deal with Kenny last night if I didn't. I know I hurt your feelings and I am so sorry and I agree that my knee-jerk reactions are a problem, but I don't know what to do to make them stop." She said.

"Have you ever told David how you feel?" Jack asked.

"How I feel about what?" Kate asked.

"About all of it, the way he treated you, the things he did, the murder, the way he ignored his sons. Have you spoken to him at all since he was arrested?" Jack asked.

"I only spoke to him a few times before the trial. Well, he spoke and I listened. He was demanding I bring the boys around. His attorney said that a strong family image might help gain some sympathy from the jury. I wasn't interested in getting sympathy from the jury." She told him.

"Kate, I think that maybe if you tell David how you feel about all of it you might be able to move past it and move on with me." Jack said.

"Jack, I don't ever want to see him again." Kate said as she started to become upset.

"Shh…don't get upset, it's not good for you or the babies. You don't have to face him Kate. Write him a letter and don't hold back. Let him know that you're a strong, beautiful independent woman despite his attempts to squash that. Let him know that his sons will be nothing like him because they do have such a wonderful mother. Let him know that they have new father, one that has every intention of adopting them one day and erasing the last little bit of his existence from their innocent lives by giving them a new last name. But don't tell him any of those things if you don't believe them or don't want them to become a reality." He said.

"Writing a letter like that would be difficult. I don't know if I want to go there. It's a very dark, ugly place." She said.

"It would be difficult and probably painful, but it could also be liberating Kate." He said.

"I will think about it Jack. Will you do something for me?" She asked.

"Anything." He said.

"Admit that you might have overreacted to my overreaction last night." She said.

"Did I let my feelings get too hurt? Yes, I probably did. But am I wrong that it's a problem we need to nip in the bud now or it's going to ruin us? No, I'm not wrong and I need you to do more than just think about it Kate. I need you to admit that your unresolved issues with David are hurting this relationship and that they need to be addressed." He pushed.

"Jack, why can't you just let this go? I said I was sorry and I am. I love you and I trust you and I don't need to dredge up painful issues from the past in order to make this work." She sighed.

"Do you want me to adopt the boys Kate?" He asked and watched her eyes drop away from his and down to her lap.

"I see. Okay, um, I really need to get to the hospital if I'm going to get back here in time to drive the kids to school." He said, obviously hurt again.

"Jack, no, wait." She said.

"No Kate it's okay. It was wrong of me to assume you'd want that. I'll see you in a little while." He said and moved off the bed and out the door before she could say anything more.

Kate removed herself from the bed, entered the kitchen, dumped the fresh pot of decaf coffee and made a pot of the real thing, refusing to deal with the day and what she'd just done to Jack…..again, without some caffeine. A cup of coffee and six breakfasts later she was loading the children into the SUV. Jack hadn't made it home yet and they were going to be late for school. After dropping Kendall and Jordan off she climbed back into the SUV and saw that she had a text message from him.

"Can't get away. You'll have to handle Kenny's principal alone. I'll meet you at the OB 's office for the sonogram."

Kate lay on the table with Carly and Kenny seated quietly in two chairs. They were waiting for the doctor and for Jack. A nurse entered the room to let her know the doctor was running behind and it'd be a few more minutes. She helped Kate sit up and get comfortable before exiting the room again. The next time the door opened, Jack came through it. She let go of the breath she didn't even realize she'd been holding when she saw him.

"I'm sorry I'm late, it couldn't be helped. Did I miss it?" He asked.

"No, my doctor is running late too. Kids, can you go wait outside for a minute. I need to talk to Jack." Kate said.

"Here, there's a vending machine in the lobby. Go get yourselves something to drink and come right back." Jack said and handed the kids some money.

They watched the children exit the room and then allowed their gazes to return to each other. She was trying to read him, but there was nothing to read. He seemed perfectly normal.

"So were you punishing me Jack? You were going to miss the sonogram because I hurt your feelings?" She asked.

"No, I almost missed the sonogram because my patient crashed." Jack said.

"Is he okay?" She asked.

"It's a she and it's too soon to tell, but she's stable for now." Jack answered.

"We've had a rough couple of days Jack? Are we going to be okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, we are because I'm going to stop pushing the issue. You did hurt my feelings this morning, but you also made me realize that I've been so busy trying to make everything perfect and trying to be the perfect husband and father so that you won't become so miserable you'll kill yourself that I've been smothering you and who you are." He said.

"You aren't smothering me Jack." She said.

"Maybe not, but I am squashing who you worked so hard to become. You're strong and independent and you've pretty much been the only parent those boys have ever known. Who the hell did I think I was coming in to save you when you clearly didn't need to be saved? I'm not going to do that anymore Kate and I'm not going to pretend to be something I'm not any longer." He said, his tone calm, but somehow different than anything she'd experienced from him.

"What does all that mean Jack?" He asked.

"It means that I'm going to stop expecting you to be something you're not and I'm going to stop pretending to be something I'm not." He said.

"What is it exactly that you are Jack?" She asked, determining that the difference in his tone was that he sounded defeated.

"I'm a busy surgeon Kate. I love you and I love the kids, but I also love my work and I'm not going to pretend that I don't. I'm the guy who misses meetings with school principals and who is late for sonograms and me trying to be something I'm not because I'm afraid of making you miserable isn't being honest." He said.

"So what? You're upset with me so you're going to bury yourself in your work?" She asked.

"No Kate, I'm not upset. I'm taking my own advice and I'm being honest with you. I'm always going to try to be the best husband and father that I can be, but I'm not going to stress out to the point of having disturbing dreams because I'm afraid of repeating my mistakes anymore. I've been pushing too hard to make this all too perfect too quick. I get that and I'm sorry. Can we please just carry on with this happy day and forget about what happened last night?" He asked, taking hold of her hand and squeezing it gently.

Kate looked into his eyes, he was sincere and he wasn't upset, he was giving up. He'd been trying so hard to piece together a happy life for all of them and whether consciously or unconsciously she'd been resisting his efforts so he was settling for whatever he could get because he loved her enough to let her be whatever and whomever she was capable of being. She smiled a weary smile at him and squeezed his hand back.

"Can you go find the kids and the doctor?" She asked.

"Sure." He said, offering a matching weary smile and a quick peck on the lips.

Jack returned with the two kids about five minutes later and the doctor appeared about five minutes after that. Jack helped Kate get comfortable on the exam table and then positioned the two children in front of him so they could watch the images appear on the screen.

"Okay Kate, we're using 4-D technology so you're going to get to say hello to your children today." The doctor told her and began the procedure.

As the first little body and face began to appear clearly on the screen, she felt her heart rate begin to increase and could feel his hand squeezing hers.

"That is so cool." Kenny said.

"Is it a brother or a sister?" Carly asked.

"It looks like this one is a little girl and she looks to be absolutely perfect." The doctor said and snapped a picture of the fetus so she could move on to the other two.

The next two little faces began to appear on the screen. They were nestled together side by side and looked more like they were battling for space than cuddling and Kate could tell by the large grin that spread across Jack's face that they were boys.

"I see Dad has already figured this one out." The doctor said.

"Well yeah, but I wasn't going to steal your thunder." Jack teased happily.

"What did he figure out?" Carly asked impatiently.

"These two are twins and they are boys and they too appear to be healthy and growing right on schedule. Congratulations, you have three healthy children and I don't see anything that concerns me." The doctor said.

"One of those boy babies is going to be the tie-breaker so you need to make sure he's born last doctor." Carly said making the adults chuckle and look toward her.

"The tie-breaker?" The doctor asked.

"Yeah, there will be four boys and four girls and when the last one is born he'll make it one extra boy. Looks like you won't ever be outnumbered again dad." Carly said happily, obviously more into this than Kenny was.

"Yeah Jack, now you'll finally have some real sons." Kenny mumbled and moved away from the table, no longer interested in watching.

The doctor could sense the tension that suddenly filled the room and quickly took a snapshot of the two boys in order to end the procedure and send the family on their way. Jack helped Kate off the table and escorted all of them out of the facility and to the SUV

.

"Do you have to go back to work?" Kate asked.

"I've got patients scheduled this afternoon, but I have time to grab some lunch." He said.

"Want to get some lunch kids?" Kate asked.

"Yes and I want to look at the pictures some more!" Carly said excitedly.

"I don't care." Kenny sighed.

"Okay then, lunch it is. Come on, I'll drive. We can swing back by after and I'll get my car and go to work." Jack said.

They sat at a table in the sandwich shop and while Carly and Kate obsessed over the pictures of the babies, Jack attempted to have a conversation with Kenny.

"So how'd things go with the principal this morning?" Jack asked.

"Do you even care?" Kenny shot back hatefully.

"If I didn't care I wouldn't ask." Jack said calmly.

"You weren't there." Kenny accused.

"I know and I'm sorry. One of my patients needed me." Jack said.

"Whatever. I have to do three days of in-school suspension. No recesses and I have to eat lunch with the teacher. I guess I won't be going to work with you." Kenny told him.

"No, but you will still be helping me move Candice's stuff around on Saturday." Jack said.

"Mom said you think I should get to go to the hockey game. I bet if one of your kids was bad you wouldn't say that." Kenny accused.

"You're all my kids Kenny and if any of the others were struggling the way you are, I'd say the same thing. Now, how about you stop trying to see if you can make me angry and eat your lunch." Jack said.

"Mom said I have to change schools because I'm hanging around bad kids. She said you think all of us should change schools. What about Jordan?" Kenny asked.

"What about her?" Jack asked.

"She won't like it Jack. She'll be crazy upset and I don't want Jordan to get punished just because I was bad." He said, forcing Jack to bite back a smile.

"You're a good kid Kenny and don't worry, we won't make Jordan change schools until the fall." Jack said.

She felt him slip into the bed beside her and opened her eyes. When he didn't make a move to touch her she rolled over and propped herself up so she could talk to him.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey, I was trying not to wake you. I'm sorry I'm so late, another six hours of surgery and she died anyway." He sighed.

"I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it?" She asked.

"No, not now anyway. How was the rest of your day? Did you show the kids the sonogram pictures?" He asked.

"I did. Kendall and Tucker weren't all that interested, but Jordan and Simon thought they were pretty cool and insisted I hang them on the refrigerator." She told him and moved in closer, feeling his arm wrap around her as she snuggled in tight.

"That's a little weird, but we are a bit of an odd bunch so why not. Hey, since you're not asleep.." He said and trailed off as he moved away from her, letting her down gently on the mattress before reaching down and pulling her nightgown up so he could rub his hand over her belly.

She watched him lower his head and shoulders and speak softly to the children in her womb before placing three light kisses over her extended abdomen.

"They like that. I can feel some fluttering when you do that." She said.

He laid down beside her and gently moved his hand over her still exposed stomach. She was waiting for that hand to slowly inch its way up until he was fondling her breasts, which was typically how things went, but he didn't seem to be interested in initiating sex tonight. He eventually stopped rubbing her belly, pulled her nightgown back down, kissed her fully on the mouth, mumbled good night and drifted off to sleep quickly. She wondered if he was just too exhausted to want sex or if he was upset over their earlier disagreements and just didn't want her sexually.

He watched the boy slowly drag the small footstool to the end of the garage and then slowly make his way back over to the large pile in front of them.

"You know Kenny, if you continue to move that slow we're going to be doing this for days." Jack said.

"I hate this. It's too hard. I'm hungry." Kenny whined.

"You just had breakfast 30 minutes ago. See that pile in the corner? Get some of those big trash bags and start filling them up." Jack told him.

"What do I do when the bag is full?" Kenny asked.

"Put it in the back of the SUV. We're going to the dump as soon as we're done." Jack said.

"What about lunch?" Kenny asked.

"Kenny, it's 8:30, we've got plenty of time to work before it's lunch time. Stop your belly-aching and get to work or I'll find something twice as bad for us to do next weekend." Jack told him, the tone in his voice telling Kenny he'd had enough.

"What's the dump?" Kenny asked as he started filling one of the trash bags.

"It's this big piece of land with lots of giant dirt mounds." Jack told him.

"Cool, can we play in it?" Kenny asked making Jack chuckle.

"I don't think your mom would appreciate us playing in the dump, with all the smelly trash and broken glass." Jack said.

"Can't we do anything fun today?" Kenny sighed heavily.

"Kenny, this is punishment, it's not supposed to be fun." Jack reminded him.

"I know, but I'm really sorry and I promise I won't skip school ever again. We never get to do stuff together, just us." Kenny said.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm being manipulated?" Jack asked and laughed lightly.

"What's manipulated?" Kenny asked.

"Never mind. Tell you what, if you stop lollygagging and help me get this stuff sorted and put up or loaded into the SUV in a timely manner, we can stop for lunch after the dump and then go to the batting cages. You still want to do that don't you? So you can be ready to go out for baseball next month?" Jack asked.

"I didn't think you were listening." Kenny said quietly.

"I'm always listening. So what do you say? Lunch and batting cages?" Jack asked.

"Yeah! Cool! I'll hurry and get all this junk in the trash bags." Kenny said with more enthusiasm then Jack has seen from him in a long while.

With the area tidy and swept and everything in its place and the SUV loaded to capacity, Jack walked over to his house to let Kate know they were leaving.

"Go ahead and go to the bathroom and do not under any circumstances tell the other kids where we are going." Jack told him as he stepped into the kitchen and gave his pretty wife a peck on the lips.

"Where are you going?' Kate asked.

"We are going to the dump and then we're going to grab some lunch and go to the batting cages." Jack said.

"Jack, he's supposed to be in trouble." Kate protested.

"I know, but he's right, we never get to do things together, just the two of us. Come on Kate, he's not a delinquent child….yet. Maybe some love and reassurance can be as effective, or more effective than punishment." Jack argued.

"Would you feel the same way if it were Carly who was in trouble?" Kate asked.

"If Carly was as out of sorts as he's been lately then I probably would, or I should say, you would, because you would be the parent whose attention she would be seeking. Come on Kate, if this were reversed, you'd feel the same way. Admit it." He reasoned.

"Okay, but how can you be sure he's not just manipulating you?" Kate asked.

"I can't, but even if he is, it still gives us a chance to spend some time together. Oh, and I haven't told you the best part yet." He said.

"What's that?" She asked slightly amused by his enthusiasm.

"Candice has offered to keep the four younger kids for us, all night and since Kenny and Carly both have plans, that means that you and I get to go out to dinner at place without paper tablecloths and crayons and then we get to come home to peace and quiet. What do you say, want to be my date tonight?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him.

"I don't know. Is this date going to end with both of us naked?" Kate asked in a teasing fashion.

"Mmm, I hope so because we've not done that in awhile and if there weren't little people lurking around every corner I'd be trying to get into your pants right now." He said in a soft, husky voice and kissed her.

"Baby I love you, but you wouldn't be getting anywhere near my pants smelling the way you do right now." She giggled, kissed him back and then squirmed away from his embrace.

"Do I stink too mom?" Kenny asked startling both of them

.

"Yes, you both do. Hopefully you're going some place outdoors to eat." Kate said.

"We worked hard that's why we stink. Do we have to eat first Jack? Can't we just get a hot dog at the concession stand." Kenny asked.

"No, you'll no doubt be eating enough of those tonight at the hockey game. There's a deli close by and yes mom, we will eat our sandwiches outside so we don't stink up the place." Jack said.

"Well have fun and be good." Kate said and kissed her son lightly on the top of the head.

"You look tired babe. Make the munchkins lay down so you can lay down too." Jack suggested as he pulled her in for one more quick kiss.

"I might just do that. Wake us up when you get home?" She asked.

"You got it. Let's go Kenny." He said and escorted the boy out of the house.

She held tightly to his back as he thrust in and out of her. If he had been suffering from a lack of desire the past few nights he was certainly back to normal now, the passion with which he was making love to her so intense it took her breath away a couple of times. She could feel his thrusts becoming more and more erratic and knew he was getting close so she stopped her mind from wandering and focused on the moment knowing he would kill himself before he'd allow himself to finish before her. Most times he didn't care who crossed the finish line first as long as they both finished, but he'd been making this all about her since the moment they arrived home and he began slowly undressing her so she knew that her orgasm was all that mattered to him at the moment even though he'd already made her come twice.

She pulled her legs back and lifted her hips higher, the contact that resulted like a jolt of electricity shooting through her lower region and she cried out in surprise, spurring him on until he was pounding into her at an insane pace, the sound of flesh slapping against flesh filling the room. Then she felt her lower extremities begin to burn in a good way and just when she thought she might go crazy her body exploded against his in the mother of all orgasms. He stopped his thrusts and held his position tightly allowing himself to release as her constricting walls milked every last drop out of him. He finally collapsed beside her, breathing hard and so exhausted he believed he could be asleep in seconds. Once their breathing settled they curled up together in the center of the bed and pulled a sheet over their lower halves.

"That was pretty incredible. We need date nights more often." She complimented.

"Mmm." He mumbled, eyes closed and ready to pass out.

"Does this mean we're finally really okay Jack?" She asked and his eyes popped open.

"What do you mean finally?" He asked.

"I know you've been upset with me and haven't wanted to be with me." She said.

"That's not true Kate. I told you how I felt days ago and I meant it." He argued.

"I know what you said Jack, but what you said and how you've been behaving are two totally different beasts." Kate accused.

"Kate, why are you doing this? Are you trying to pick a fight with me? Will it somehow make you feel better about things if you can be mad at me?" He asked.

"What makes you think I need to feel better about anything?" She asked.

"Because you keep dredging this shit up. What do you want from me Kate?" He asked.

"I just want you to be honest with me Jack." She said.

"I've been honest with you Kate. I've admitted that I've been pushing too hard. I've been happily pushing forward though and I thought I had just spent an incredible evening with my wife but apparently only one of us was really into it." He sighed.

"Did I not seem like I was into it?" She asked

.

"Then what is this Kate? What is this reassurance you seem to need about? I don't know what to do anymore." He said, his tone more desperate than frustrated.

"I need you to help me understand why I have this wonderful man in my life who only wants to make me happy and I keep resisting his efforts. Why am I forcing to you settle for less than what you want and need and deserve?" She asked and he could feel the tears dropping onto his chest.

"Okay first of all, I'm not settling, I'm compromising because I love you enough to do that Kate. This is a relationship and it can't be all about what I want or all about what you want. It's got to be something that both of us can live with and whatever that is, I'm willing to take that journey with you. I'm not mad at you and I certainly haven't lost my desire to be with you. I know we've kind of gotten in the habit of humping like rabbits, but sometimes Kate I just don't have it in me, especially when the hospital has been kicking my ass. That patient that died, she wasn't much older than you and she left two young children behind. Doctors are pretty good at distancing themselves from their patients, but there are times when it gets to you. When you see the faces of those sad children and that devastated husband and all you want to do is come home and hold onto what you have for awhile." He explained.

"I'm sorry Jack. I wish you would've just told me when you came home that night. I would've been happy to just hold onto you until you were ready to let go." She said.

"That's just it Kate, I'm never ready to let go, I just do because, well, it'd be a bit pathetic and clingy if I didn't and because you need to be allowed to breathe." He said.

"I'm going to try harder Jack. I'm going to find a way to face my demons and stop punishing you for things you had nothing to do with." She said.

"I know you are and maybe it's just about time and taking things as they come. I mean hell, we're having 3 babies together and certainly didn't plan that, but I can't imagine being any happier, so I think I can be a little less rigid about putting this family together so quickly." He said.

"Jack, I do want my sons to think of you as their father. I can't imagine a better role model for them. I don't know why I hesitated when you asked about adopting them, but I guess it's more of those unresolved issues that I need to deal with. How was Kenny today?" She asked.

"He seems really lost Kate. I think learning all those things about his real dad really threw him for a loop and he's having some trust issues. But, we had fun today and he laughed quite a bit." He said.

"I'm going to have that talk with him about his dad tomorrow and let him ask me anything he wants. Do you think you could do it with me?" She asked.

"Sure, whatever you need. He's going to be okay Kate and eventually he's going to trust me and trust that I'm not going to hurt him or leave him or love my two new sons more than him and his brothers. You've seen how stubborn I can be and I'm not going to give up on him." Jack said.

"I love you Jack, so much. You believe that right?" She asked.

"Yes, I do and I love you so much that I'm going to leave the comfort of this warm bed and this warm body snuggled up next to me to go retrieve the ice cream and cookies I know you want so bad right this minute you can taste it." He said as he rolled her onto her back and kissed her passionately.


	30. Chapter 30

_**I am so, so, so, so sorry, but I promise I am going to finish this story if it kills me. Thank you all so much for reading and for the reviews. I'm sorry I haven't had time to respond to each one of you like I used to, but I do appreciate the time you take to tell me how you feel.**_

She could feel the light kisses on her shoulders and neck and opened her eyes, turning over and smiling at the owner of the softest, sexiest pair of lips she'd ever encountered. It had been five weeks since the incident with Kenny and they hadn't hit anymore bumps in the road since. Kenny continued to be a pain in the ass and for the most part Kate stepped back and allowed Jack to deal with him since the majority of the child's bad behavior was for Jack's benefit. There were many incidents where Jack had been forced to escort Kenny away from the rest of them and to Jack's credit he'd always managed to deal with the boy calmly. Kate had decided he had to be the most patient individual on the planet, but she knew that he was just like anyone else and had a button that could be pushed and that Kenny was going to find it eventually.

Their relationship had been solid since the incident five weeks ago and their sex life had been incredible. She wasn't sure if it was the pregnancy that made him seem to never be able to get enough of her or if it was the fact that he'd stopped trying to be the perfect husband and father that had changed him, but whatever it was she hoped it never wore off. Instead of her being the constant instigator, the scales had seemed to balance out in that respect and even though he was still considerate of the fact that she was very pregnant and maybe not in the mood to be pawed he didn't hesitate to at least check and see if she was in the mood for some lovin and she usually was. Her stomach was getting large, quite large for 26 weeks and she found that the only way she could enjoy the sex in the last week or so was with him spooning her from behind.

"Good morning. How is everyone today?" He asked sweetly and rubbed his hand gently over her stomach.

"We're good. Your children are still asleep I think." She said and kissed him softly.

"They should be. We really let them stay up too late last night." He said.

"I'm talking about the babies. The ones out of the womb got up about 15 minutes ago." She giggled.

"Bummer, I was hoping to break in the new bedroom this morning since we were too tired last night." He said.

"Well we could probably squeeze a quickie in before they start demanding breakfast." She said and rubbed her hand over his chest.

"Nah, I want to break in the new bedroom properly. How about we finish unpacking, or I finish unpacking while you supervise and we meet back here around one for a nap?" He asked with a sexy grin.

"Mmm...sounds like a date hot stuff." She answered and relaxed into the pillow as he kissed her, feeling the familiar tingling between her legs and wondering if they were going to be able to hold out for their date.

Just as the kissing was about to intensify to the petting stage the door burst open and Kenny stood in the doorway, looking just a bit cockier than any 11 year old who just burst into their parents bedroom should.

"Since when don't you knock?" Jack asked.

"Since I have my own key." Kenny answered and held up the large bobbie pin he'd used to pop the lock on the bedroom door.

"Jack what are we..." Kate sighed, too exhausted by her son's antics to finish the sentence.

"What was so important you felt it would be okay to pop the lock because I'm thinking anything short of the house being on fire is unacceptable." Jack told him as he rose from the mattress that was on the floor and held his hands out to help his pregnant wife up.

"Can I call my dad?" Kenny asked.

"No." Kate answered.

"Can I write him a letter?" Kenny asked.

"No." Kate remained firm.

"Why not? Maybe he's lonely. Maybe he didn't really do it mom and he's all alone and he'd want to talk to me if he knew he could." Kenny argued.

"Baby, I know you're struggling with believing that your dad did something so terrible, but I promise honey, he did it and he's not a good person and I don't want you to have anything more to do with him." Kate stressed and rubbed her hand over her belly.

Jack could see that the conversation was causing her stress and stress was a major no-no for her right now.

"Kenny, let's go to the donut shop and get breakfast." Jack said.

"I don't want donuts. I want eggs." Kenny argued.

"Well you're not getting eggs because we need to go grocery shopping and there is nothing in the house to eat." Jack said.

"McDonalds has eggs." Kenny continued to argue.

"Okay, I've had enough of your attitude this morning so this is how it's going to go. You are going to start unpacking your bedroom while Carly and I go get the donuts. After you eat your breakfast, you and I are going to put beds together while the other kids finish unpacking their toys and clothes. Then we're all going to have lunch and take a nap. When we wake up we're going to make mom comfortable and then we're all going to go grocery shopping while she rests. Any questions?" Jack asked in the no nonsense tone that would normally make Kenny back down.

"Why do I have to do all the hard work? Why can't Carly help with the beds?" Kenny asked.

"Because I'm an old-fashioned guy who believes that if there are men available to do the hard labor they should do it." Jack said.

"I'm not a man." Kenny shot back.

"No, not yet, but you're slowly becoming one and it's my job as your dad to teach you as much as I know to help you get there." Jack, still remaining calm, explained to him.

"You're not my dad and why does a man need to know how to put beds together? That's just dumb." Kenny huffed.

"It doesn't hurt to know all kinds of things, but what I'm trying to teach you today is that when you have a house full of women, little girls and young boys the respectful thing for a man to do is to step up and do the hard work, not because women aren't capable of doing it, but because a man should always offer to do it." Jack explained.

"If girls are capable how come you don't teach Carly how to do it? I don't want to help you." Kenny whined.

Kate started to speak up, completely annoyed with the boy and ready to unload on him. Jack put his hand up to back her off.

"Carly knows how to do it, but I don't want Carly to help me today, I want you to and I already explained why. We are the men Kenny and men don't lie around and watch the women they care about do all the hard work. We love them and we respect them and we take care of them even when they don't want to be taken care of. Now go and unpack your toys and clothes while I go get the donuts. I want it done by the time I get back so you can eat breakfast and we can get busy. Do you understand?" He asked remaining calm, but firm.

"Will you get me three chocolate donuts with sprinkles?" He asked.

"Yes. Do you want milk or juice?" Jack asked.

"Apple juice." Kenny answered quietly and turned to leave the room.

"Oh, and I am your dad Kenny. You don't ever have to call me dad if you don't want to, but I am the guy who is going to be there for you and for all of your brothers and sisters no matter what and I love you." Jack told him.

"Okay." Kenny mumbled and left the room.

"He's never going to snap out of this is he?" Kate sighed.

"He will Kate, just give him time." Jack said.

"I know it has to hurt your feelings when he rejects you and I feel so guilty because the girls have so willingly accepted me as their mom and we're all doing great and Kenny just continues to battle with you every single day. I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to just throw in the towel." She said and then quickly wiped at the tears that were escaping.

"Kate, throwing in the towel has never crossed my mind. He's a little boy who's hurt and confused. I know he loves me Kate and it's because of that he's struggling so much. He feels like he's betraying his real father if he gives into what he wants and moves on with all of us. Please don't let this upset you so much." Jack pleaded with her.

"I can't help it Jack. You're so good to him and he's so awful to you." Kate sniffed.

"He's not awful to me Kate. We have our moments and it's because of those moments I know it's there Kate, just below the surface waiting for him to just allow it to be okay. Did you feel hurt or jealous when Jordan melted down the other night and didn't want anything to do with anyone but me?" Jack asked.

"No, but that's different. She's a daddy's girl and will always want you when she's looking for comfort. She's never hateful to me Jack, none of them are. They're wonderful, beautiful little girls who have just welcomed me into their lives with open arms and I feel terrible that I've had such an easy go of it and you haven't." Kate said.

"Baby, I'm pretty sure that this is eating at you more than it is me and let's be fair to Kenny because he too is a wonderful, beautiful little boy. The girls don't have a mother out there that may or may not want them in her life, it's easier for them to just love you because there's no guilt involved for them. Their mother is gone and Carly knows that she's gone because she chose to be gone, but I bet if it were a different situation, a situation like the one Kenny is dealing with that we'd be experiencing a reaction similar to Kenny's from her as well. They're just kids Kate and I've not lost sight of that. He's not hurting my feelings. I just want him to feel better so he can be as happy and carefree as an 11 year old boy should be." Jack stressed as he placed his hands on her lower back and pulled her closer, her belly keeping that from being very close.

He leaned in and kissed her softly on the mouth while one of his hands snaked around and rested on her extended abdomen, rubbing soothing circles over the tightly stretched skin.

"I'm so big we can't even hug anymore." She said.

"Sure we can, I just need to start hugging you from behind." He said with a smile and pulled back to give her and her belly some space.

"Seriously Jack, I'm bigger now than I was at full term with any of the boys and Tucker was huge." She groaned.

"Well then you just carried them well because I've seen women carrying just one baby who are twice the size you are now at full term. What kind of donuts would you like?" He asked.

"No donuts. Can you just get me a muffin and some chocolate milk?" She asked.

"Just one muffin?" He teased.

"Keep it up babe and there will be no muffins for you this afternoon." She teased back

.

Kenny sat in the corner and watched Jack begin to assemble what would be the 5th bed that morning. They were in Kenny's new bedroom and they had bought new queen size beds for both Kenny and Carly so they could continue to grow into their teenage years without outgrowing their beds. Jack looked over at him and while the child had been compliant and helpful all morning he'd also been what he could only describe as depressing.

"Can I get a tv for my room?" Kenny asked

.

"No, but you can get all the books your heart desires and fill those book shelves." Jack answered as he nodded toward the wall with the empty bookshelves.

"My friend Jason has a tv in his room and it has cable and HD and a DVR and he has a computer in his room too and a Wii, a X-Box and a Playstation." Kenny told him.

"Is that your new friend at your new school?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, he lives a few streets over. Mom took me to his house to play one day after school. You were working. Their house is gigantic, more gigantic than this one." Kenny said.

"I don't think it's a good idea to have all that stuff in your bedroom. You need to play in the family room with all the other kids and when you want to get away from them you can come in here and read or just listen to music and you know you aren't allowed to be on the internet unsupervised." Jack said.

"It sucks always having to watch what the little kids want to watch and play the video games the little kids want to play." Kenny grumbled.

"Don't say sucks." Jack reminded him and watched him for another few seconds before returning his attention to the screws he was about to use to attach the bed frame to the headboard.

He was just about to attach the drill to the screw when he glanced up at the boy again. He knew if the screws weren't put in properly they'd be stripped out and there'd be a big, worthless hole in the solid oak headboard, but he decided that teaching his son how to use a drill and allowing him to feel like the man he'd been preaching at him to be all morning was more important than a hunk of wood.

"Do you want to put the screws in?" Jack asked, taking notice of how quickly the child perked up.

"Really? I can work the drill?" Kenny asked.

"Yes, really. Come here and let me show you how to hold it so the screw goes in straight." Jack told him and backed up so the child could position himself in front of him.

Kate stood in the doorway and watched Jack carefully and patiently guide her son's hands while he nervously pushed the button on the drill, stopping and freezing for a moment when it first took off, but then with Jack's encouragement, settling down and slowly and methodically drilling the screws into the headboard. He was practically giggling by the time they were finished and she stepped away just before he turned around so he wouldn't see her watching. She didn't want anything to spoil their moment.

"That was fun Jack can I do another one?" Kenny asked.

"We still have Carly's bed to put together and of course I'll have three cribs I'll need help with in a few weeks. You did a good job." Jack said and held his hand up in the high five motion, happy when the child enthusiastically slapped his hand.

She lay on her side on the bed, the warm bath they'd shared together both soothing and sensual. She'd slipped on a t-shirt and panties, lying around naked in her condition no longer something she was willing to do regardless of how many times he'd told her how beautiful and sexy she was to him. He didn't push the issue. He knew she was feeling very self-conscious about her body and was happy to let her be as naked or as clothed as she was comfortable with. She felt him snuggle in behind her. He was wearing his boxers, which was how he entered the bed most times these days, never bold enough to assume she'd want sex, but just one clothing item away from satisfying her if she did want sex. Her not wanting sex had never really been an issue in their relationship, but in the last week or so she'd been on quite the hormone roller coaster that had her either wearing him out or pushing him away. He rubbed his hand gently up and down her arm and kissed the back of her neck, smiling when he felt her take hold of his hand and move it to her crotch.

"Roll onto your back." He said softly and moved so she could get comfortable.

She did as he asked, allowing him to slowly undress her and then proceed to shower every inch of her body with attention, bringing her to orgasm with just his mouth and having her so hot and bothered that being spooned from behind wasn't going to satisfy her. She rolled to her side and then went up onto her hands and knees, lowering her upper body and allowing her head to rest on top of her folded arms. He made love to her slowly and thoroughly and while it wasn't the most intimate position to be in, it was certainly effective and after bringing her off twice more he coaxed her back down onto the bed on her side, spooned his body around hers and re-entered her, continuing his slow, deep thrusts until both of them were completely spent and panting through their release.

He slipped out of her and closed his eyes, his mind and his body ready to sleep. She moved off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom, rejoining him a few minutes later, redressed and ready to sleep. Once she was comfortable he wrapped his arm around her and kissed the side of her neck.

"We're home." He sighed sleepily.

"I love you too." She said.

He could hear the ruckus and quickly moved out of the bed, stepping into his jeans, pulling a t-shirt over his head and exiting the bedroom quickly, hoping he could get to them before they woke Kate. He entered the family room where Kenny was standing on the table holding the game controller in the air out of Simon's reach while the other five children screamed at him to give it back, well actually four other children. Tucker lay sleepily on the couch sucking his thumb, not fully awake yet. He snatched the controller out of Kenny's hand getting the attention of all of the children.

"What is going on?" Jack asked.

All five children began talking at once.

"Stop. One at a time. Carly, you first." Jack said.

"Of course she gets to go first, she's your favorite." Kenny grumbled.

"Okay, you go first Kenny." Jack said sternly, letting the boy know he wasn't in the mood for his attitude at the moment.

"I called dibs on the Wii before we went to bed and Simon and Kendall came out here and got on it anyway so I turned the game off and took the controller." Kenny explained.

"Dad, they got up before he did. They were in the middle of a game and Kenny just walked in and shut it off. It was pretty rude." Carly said and glared at her younger sibling.

"He did daddy and I was winning. You should spank him." Kendall chimed in.

"Yeah daddy spank him. He's been so mean to everyone today." Jordan said.

"No, please don't. It's okay, he can play with it." Simon offered, not liking the idea of his new dad spanking anyone and feeling bad that everyone was ganging up on his brother.

"It's okay Simon, nobody is getting spanked." Jack said and placed a comforting hand on the back of the boy's head.

"Can I have the controller back now?" Kenny asked.

"No, you can't, but you can go wait in the kitchen for me. I want to talk to you. The rest of you find something quiet to do until Kate wakes up." Jack said.

"Can we finish our game daddy?" Kendall asked.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea. No more Wii for awhile." Jack said.

"That's not fair." Simon objected.

"No, it's probably not, but maybe next time you want to fight over it you'll remember how it's not fun to have it taken away from you." Jack said and left the room.

He found Kenny at the breakfast bar, sitting on the stool and kicking the wall.

"Stop kicking the wall." Jack said, his patience with the child wearing thin.

"What are you going to make me do now? Scrub the garage floor on my hands and knees?" Kenny asked.

"No, we're going to have a talk, man to man and then you're either going to straighten up and stop disrupting this entire family or you're going get really familiar with the four walls of your bedroom. What can I do to make you happy Kenny?" Jack asked.

"I'm happy." Kenny mumbled.

"No you're not and I need to know what I can do to fix that." Jack said.

"Stop pretending to be my dad. You're just doing it for mom. You don't really love us or care about us." Kenny accused.

"That's not true Kenny. I do love you and there's nothing I wouldn't do for you." Jack told him.

"Why?" Kenny asked.

"Why do you hold Kendall 's hand so tight when you walk to the playground?" Jack countered.

"Because she might run off and I don't want her to get hurt." Kenny answered.

"Why don't you want her to get hurt?" Jack asked.

Kenny dropped his head, not liking the feelings Jack was forcing him to tap into.

"He didn't want to leave Jack, he might still want me." Kenny said.

"Kenny, I don't want to hurt you anymore than you've already been hurt, but you have to stop living your life worried about a man who hasn't even attempted to contact you in over four years. He's sitting in a prison cell with nothing but time on his hands and if he really wanted you to be a part of his life he would've at least written a letter by now." Jack said.

"Maybe he did and mom tore it up or maybe he doesn't because he knows mom would tear it up." Kenny said his eyes filling with tears.

"She wouldn't do that. She might not allow you have the letter today, but she'd hold onto it and let you have it when she felt you were old enough to have it. Kenny, he's never sent you a letter and I'm sorry about that." Jack said and placed a comforting hand on the child's shoulder, surprised that he didn't get shrugged off.

"Would you send me a letter?" Kenny asked softly.

Jack turned the stool Kenny was sitting on until the child was facing him. He bent down, placing his fingers under the boy's chin and gently tilting his head upward until they were eye to eye.

"Every day." Jack answered and swallowed hard as he watched the tear roll down Kenny's face.

"Can I go lay down with mom?" He asked.

Jack thought for a moment, trying to remember if she'd redressed after they'd made love.

"Sure." He answered and watched the boy quickly leave the room, frustrated, but feeling like maybe he'd made some progress with him.

By that evening, the house was pretty much put together, groceries were bought and put away and the pizza they had ordered for dinner had a stray piece left over in one of the boxes. The children were all in the back yard playing and Kate was relaxing on one of the chaise lounges watching them. She hadn't felt well since she woke from her nap, which had started to become the norm in the evenings, the pregnancy slowly starting to take its toll on her body, but today was worse than it had ever been before and he hoped it was the stress of the move and not what he feared it might be. Jack had just finished cleaning up the pizza mess and had joined her on the patio when Kenny approached with his baseball bat in hand

.

"Can we go down to the park so you can hit me some balls?" He asked.

"No, not tonight buddy. I need to stay here and keep an eye on the kids." Jack said.

"Mom's here, why can't she do it?" Kenny whined.

"Because she's not feeling well." Jack told him.

"She's never not feeling well anymore." He grumbled and walked away pouting.

"Jack, I can keep an eye on the kids if you want to go hit some balls." Kate said.

"No, you need to stay down and stay quiet and we need to cool it in the bedroom as well." Jack said.

"You're going to deny me the one thing that actually makes me feel good these days?" She asked.

"Kate, the goal is to make it to 36 weeks. We've got about 10 weeks to go and by the looks of your hands and face, we probably aren't going to make it, but we for sure aren't going to make it if we don't find a way to keep you down and quiet." He said.

"Jack there is no way I'm staying in bed for the next 10 weeks." She argued.

"You might not have a choice Kate." He said, glancing up just in time to see Kenny shove Simon to the ground.

"God dammit, I've had enough of his attitude. Kenny! Get over here. Now!" Jack yelled in a voice so stern and so angry all of the children froze and turned to look at him.

Kenny slowly walked toward the patio, stopping at the edge and staring at Jack defiantly. Jack got up from his chair and approached the boy, reaching for the bat that was in his hand only to have it pulled back and away from him angrily.

"You need to give me that bat and go inside, take a bath and get ready for bed." Jack told him.

"No! It's too early!" Kenny spat in a bratty tone and backed away from him, clutching the bat tightly in both hands and Jack wondered briefly if the boy was considering taking a swing at him with it.

"Give me the bat Kenny." Jack demanded.

"Get it yourself!" Kenny yelled and flung the bat forward as hard as he could, hitting his mother in the belly with it before she had a chance to react.

Kenny saw the rage in Jack's eyes and immediately began crying.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit her!" He cried as Jack grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the house, the sounds of the Jack's hand landing hard on Kenny's butt filling the air as soon as the door was closed, whatever patience he'd kept in the check with the boy completely gone.

"You are done disrupting this house and this family with your bratty behavior." Jack preached angrily as he continued to spank the child.

"I hate you! I wish you'd go away and never come back!" Kenny screamed at him.

"Go to your room and don't make me tell you twice." Jack told him.

Kenny ran off to his bedroom and Jack went back out the back door to check on Kate. Carly , Jordan and Simon were fussing over her and she was doing her best to stay patient with them.

"Hey kids, let daddy have a look okay?" Jack said and made eye contact with her as they backed away.

He sat beside her, raised her shirt and inspected the bruise that was already forming on her stomach.

"Are you having any pains?" He asked.

"No, but do you think they're okay?" Kate asked

.

"Yes, but we'll keep an eye on you the rest of the weekend and go see the doctor first thing Monday to make sure." He said and dropped his head.

"I'm sorry Kate. I know how you feel about that. When I saw that bat hit you, I finally just lost it with him." He said.

"Jack, it's okay. He deserved it." Kate said.

"Maybe, but it's probably the last thing he needed. Carly, will you go get Kenny, tell him I want to talk to him?" Jack asked.

Carly entered the house just in time to see Kenny going out the front door and followed him.

"Kenny you better come back in. Dad wants to talk to you." Carly said.

"No. I messed up everything Carly. I hurt my mom and now he hates me. Just leave me alone." Kenny said and took off toward the park area of the neighborhood.

"Kenny he doesn't hate you. You just scared him when you hit mom with the bat. Come back before you get into more trouble." Carly pleaded with him.

"No, I'm never coming back." Kenny said and headed toward the trees at the edges of the park.

Carly continued to follow him, not willing to let him run away by himself. He got to the trees and began climbing.

"So what, you're going to live in a tree for the rest of your life?" Carly asked.

"No, I just need a place to hide while I think. Go home Carly." Kenny said and continued his trek up the tree branches.

"Kenny, that's too high." Carly objected at the precise moment he lost his footing and went tumbling down into the branches below landing hard and crying out in pain.

"Kenny, can you get down?" Carly yelled in a terrified voice.

He didn't answer her. He just to continued to scream and it was the worst sound she'd ever heard in her life.

"Kenny don't move! I'm going to get daddy! Promise me you won't try to move." Carly pleaded with him and ran back to the house.

Jack and Kate who were both still on the patio heard the screams in the distance and looked at each other. Neither knew how they knew, but they knew that the screams belonged to one of their children and raced for the front door, running into Carly as soon as they opened it.

"Kenny's hurt! He's in the tree down there and he's hurt bad!" Carly cried.

"Stay here with the kids." Jack said and took off toward the patch of trees.

The other four children were gathered at the front door at this point and hell was going to freeze over before Kate was going to stay behind and wait while her child was injured.

"Kids, hold the little ones hands. Carly show us where he's at." Kate said and began following Carly to the area where the screams were coming from.

One of the neighbors was working in his garage, had heard the screams and had walked out to investigate when he spotted the very pregnant woman and her five children hurriedly moving toward the screams.

"What's happened? Can I do anything to help?" The man asked as they approached.

"My brother fell and he's stuck in the tree and he's hurt really bad." Carly said.

"Okay, I'll call 9-1-1 and then I'll be down." The man said.

By the time Kate and the kids got to the scene, Jack was already up the tree and trying to help Kenny who was splayed out over some branches. His right foot was wedged tightly in a branch above him and the leg of his jeans was blood soaked below the knee. He could tell by the odd positioning of the leg that it was broken and badly. Jack slowly crawled out onto the branch beside the area where he was lying and took hold of the child's hand.

"Kenny, I know it hurts buddy, but I need you to try to settle down. Can you do that?" Jack asked in a kind, calm voice and began to slowly examine as much of his body as he could without disturbing the branches too much.

"I can't. It hurts so much and I'm scared. I'm going to fall. I can feel the branches moving. Is my leg going rip off if I fall?" Kenny asked desperately, so freaked out Jack wasn't sure if he was going to be able to calm him down.

"I'm not going to let you fall Kenny. Does anything besides your leg hurt?" Jack asked and looked down at the crowd that had gathered below.

He could hear sirens in the distance and said a silent thank you. He needed to get the child's leg free, but he needed to stabilize it first and he didn't have anything to do that with.

"No, nothing else hurts. I'm going to throw up." Kenny cried.

"No you're not. Look at me son. You're going to be okay. Just keep looking at me and I promise you that everything it going to be okay. As soon as those firemen get here, we're going to get you out of this tree. Okay?" Jack spoke calmly to the boy, holding his hand tightly and smiling down at him as he began to calm down some.

"Is there anything I can do?" A voice came from behind, startling him.

Jack turned his head to find a man sitting right behind him.

"Hi, Austin Dunlap. I'm your neighbor." The man said.

"Jack Shephard and yes you can help. When those firemen get here I need you to tell them I need them to start an IV and that I need 5 milligrams of morphine, leg splints and bandages. Here give them my wallet. My medical ID is in there. I'm a doctor." Jack said as he carefully reached into his back pocket, retrieved his wallet and handed it to the man.

The man took the wallet and climbed back down the tree. Jack looked back down at the ground at his distressed wife and children.

"Kate he's going to be okay. His leg is broken, but I don't see any other injuries." Jack yelled down to her, hoping to relieve some of the stress, but knowing that she wasn't going to relax and until the child was safely out of the tree and truth be told, neither was he.

The rescue squad pulled in as far as they could, followed by a fire truck, an ambulance, and a police car. The neighbor ran to them immediately with Jack's instructions. There was no way to get the truck close enough to the tree to use the truck's ladder so a neighbor offered up a ladder and two of the firemen took it to the tree, found a good spot to brace it and held onto the ladder while an EMT climbed up with the supplies Jack had requested.

"Sir, I need you to move away from the boy and let us treat him." The EMT said and pulled Kenny's hand away from Jack's so he could check his pulse.

"No! I want my dad!" Kenny cried, becoming agitated again.

"Look, his pulse is exactly where you'd expect it to be considering the circumstances. We need to get that IV in him and get him medicated so we can do something with his leg." Jack barked at the EMT.

"We need to figure out how we're going to get him down." The EMT said.

"We're going to put him on my back and I'm going to climb down that ladder, but we can't do any of that until we get his pain managed." Jack huffed impatiently.

The EMT looked down at the two firemen on the ground.

"There's really no other way to get him down Andy." One fireman said.

The EMT began the process of inserting the IV into Kenny's arm. As soon as Kenny saw the big needle he freaked out.

"No dad, don't let them stick that big needle in me." Kenny pleaded with him.

"Shh, don't be scared. You'll feel a big stick and that's all. I promise. Just keep looking at me." Jack tried to soothe the scared child.

The EMT quickly and almost painlessly inserted the IV needle into the child's arm and handed the bag of saline to Jack while he pulled out a fresh hypodermic and a bottle of morphine. He looked at Jack, then at Kenny and then back at Jack.

"How much does he weigh?" The EMT asked.

"About 65 pounds." Jack said.

"You sure you only want to give him 5 milligrams? 10 would probably knock him out." The EMT said.

"I don't want to knock him out. He needs to be able to put his arms around my neck and hold on while we climb out of this tree. The branches aren't going to hold much longer. We need to get moving." Jack answered, clearly annoyed and ready to grab the medicine from the man and do it himself

.

The EMT inserted the morphine into the IV and the relief was almost instant. Kenny settled down completely and began fighting to keep his eyes open. Jack began to slowly un-wedge the foot that was caught in the branches, causing the boy to cry out in pain, which he expected, but the pain would've been much worse without the morphine. He didn't bother with the leg splint. There was no way to stabilize the leg, the break was too severe and it was going to hurt like hell regardless. He took hold of Kenny's hand and squeezed it. Kenny locked eyes with him.

"I know it hurts and I wish I could do something to make it stop and I will as soon as I get you out of this tree I promise, but until then I need you to be as brave as you can be. We're going to move you now. This medic is going to put you on my back and when he does I want you to wrap your arms around my neck as tight as you can and hold on. It's going to hurt a lot buddy and it's okay to scream and cry and even cuss if you want to. Okay?" Jack spoke softly, but firmly to him.

"You promise I won't fall?" Kenny asked.

"I promise. Just hold on to me, close your eyes and we'll be on the ground before you know it." Jack told him.

The EMT lifted Kenny out of the tree branches and placed him on Jack's back, the child screaming so loudly he could probably be heard a mile away. The screams were making Kate physically ill and she stumbled some, being caught and gently led to the ground by one of the firemen on the scene. Jack slowly made his way down the ladder, the child's IV bag clenched tightly in his teeth and the crying child holding on so tight it was choking him. As soon as his feet hit the ground one of the firemen pulled the boy from his back and laid him gently onto the gurney that was waiting. Jack turned around, saw the fireman tending to Kate and for a moment wasn't sure where to divert his attention. Should he focus on the boy crying for his daddy, for the daddy he'd been denying for months or on the wife whose condition was too fragile to handle this kind of stress. He reached toward the gurney and took hold of Kenny's trembling hand, the pain taking its toll on his young body.

"Give him another 5 milligrams of morphine. Kate are you okay?" He asked, doing his best to divide his attention.

"I think she's okay sir, just too much excitement, but let's go ahead and let mom ride up front and get her checked out anyway." The fireman said and led Kate to the ambulance, keeping a steady arm wrapped around her the entire way.

Jack looked at his remaining five children and then back at the ambulance that now held his son and his wife.

"Do you have someone to look after them?" The neighbor, Austin Dunlap asked.

"I can call someone to come look after them." Jack said.

"I can take care of them until Candice gets here dad." Carly said.

"No baby, I don't think that's a good idea. Go ahead and take them to the hospital. I'll follow in my car." Jack said.

"I really think you need to be with your wife and son right now. I'll stay with them until someone gets here to look after them." The neighbor offered.

"I appreciate that, but I don't know you. You understand right?" Jack said.

Jack quickly kissed his wife goodbye and checked on Kenny who was so out if it he didn't even realize Jack was talking to him. After giving instructions for which hospital he wanted them transported to he exited the ambulance, picked up the two youngest children and quickly made his way back to the house.

When he arrived at the hospital he situated the five children in the waiting room, promised he'd be right back and went in search of his wife and son. He found Kenny in one of the exam rooms, whimpering and groggy. The ER physician was just about to begin examining his leg when Jack walked in.

"Don't touch him. Dr. Bronson is on his way." Jack said.

"Dr. Shephard. I heard this one belonged to you. I'm just going to cut away his jeans and get an x-ray so Dr. Bronson will have something to look at when he gets here. I don't need to tell you he's headed for surgery though." The ER doctor said and began putting the portable x-ray machine into place.

"Dad." Kenny whimpered.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm right here and pretty soon all the pain is going to be gone." Jack told him, gently brushing the hair away from his forehead and placing a gentle kiss there.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt mom. I didn't mean the things I said." Kenny said softly.

"I'm sorry I got so angry. We're going to be okay though. I promise. I love you." Jack told him.

"I love you too. Where's mom? Is she okay?" Kenny asked.

"They're checking her and the babies out in the room down the hall." Jack told him.

"Is she sick because of what I did?" Kenny asked.

"No buddy. She's sick because she's got three babies inside of her and that's very hard on a person's body." Jack told him.

Kenny was about to respond when his colleague and friend Tim Bronson walked through the door.

"I got here as fast as I could and I left a very hot and eager babe behind so you owe me Shephard." Tim teased and then immediately felt bad when he could see how distraught Jack was.

"Sorry man." Tim said and looked at the paperwork that had been started on the boy.

"He fell and his foot got caught on the way down. Looks like the fibula and tibia both snapped in half." Jack said as Tim approached the boy and touched his leg gently.

"No! I want my dad to do it! You promised to make it stop hurting daddy." Kenny cried.

"Kenny, my name is Dr. Bronson. I'm a good friend of your dad's and I'm going to fix your leg up good as new. Okay?" Tim told him.

"Why can't you do it dad?" Kenny asked.

"Doctors aren't allowed to treat their own kids and Dr. Bronson is the best that there is when it comes to broken bones. You'll be asleep buddy and won't feel a thing." Jack told him.

Before Kenny could argue some more the door opened and another familiar face popped his head in. It was Ethan Banks, Kate's doctor and he looked concerned.

"Jack we need to talk." Ethan said.

"Okay, I um….I need to check on my other kids and I need to….um." Jack stammered unsure of whether or not he should even consider leaving Kenny.

"This one is headed up to surgery. We need to get this opened up and cleaned up before infection sets in." Tim offered.

"I can't leave him Ethan, not until he's under." Jack said.

"Just five minutes in the hall Jack." Ethan insisted.

Jack slipped out of the room and joined the concerned doctor in the hallway.

"What's going on?" Jack asked.

"Kate's blood pressure is currently 210/120 and we're running labs on her right now, but I think you know what this means." Ethan said.

"Preeclampsia." Jack sighed heavily.

"Severe preeclampsia." Ethan told him.

"What are you saying?" Jack asked.

"I'm saying you need to prepare yourself for the worst and hope for the best. We're going to go ahead and admit her and start the steroid injections to try to speed up the baby's lung development and try as hard as we can to progress the pregnancy a few more weeks, but Jack if we can't get her blood pressure down by this time tomorrow, I'm going to have to take them." Ethan explained.

Does Kate know?" Jack asked.

"No, I haven't said anything to her yet. I thought it might be better if you're with her when she hears the news." Ethan said.

"Okay, I'll be in as soon as they take Kenny to surgery." Jack told him.

Ethan patted Jack on the pack and walked way, leaving the man with entirely too many irons in the fire standing alone the hallway.


End file.
